When Sirius Jumped Dimensions and Traveled through Time
by regenengel3
Summary: "I was an impulsive idiot, and it cost me everything. I'd give almost anything to go back and right my wrongs." "What would you give, Sirius Black, if given the chance?" Rated T just in case. Planned Dumbles bashing, but no other characters suffer the same fate. Except perhaps Lucius.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all affiliates are not owned by regenengel3 and never shall be. Plot twists and bunny fluff... okay, I might claim that... in this story.

Summary: "I was an impulsive idiot, and it cost me everything. I'd give almost anything to go back and right my wrongs." "What _would_ you give, Sirius Black, if given the chance?" time-traveler!Sirius fic. Stuck in Harry's head from the time he fell through the veil to the day Harry died, for good, Sirius did some serious growing up. When a mysterious voice asks him what he'd truly give to go back through time, his answer, and his actions, might just change the world.

* * *

A/N: Creative license taken and heavily used.

Chapter 1: Revelations

He saw the glee in her eyes as his cousin, _his own cousin_, blasted him through the veil. She had to know it meant death to fall through that ominous, strangely cold arch. He watched his godson as Bellatrix's spell pushed him from the realm of the living. Seeing the emotion – fearpainanger_loss – _on his precious godson's face was more painful than all his years in Azkaban. But, as the cold mist claimed him, he felt himself succumbing to peaceful acceptance. '_I just wish I could have watched my godson grow into the brilliant man I know he'll be,_' Sirius thought as he slowly closed his eyes. All of this takes time to write, and read, but to Sirius it all happened in a moment. But a moment is all it ever takes, isn't it? The next time he opened his eyes, it was to a scream of pure pain, and rage. "YOU KILLED SIRIUS!" Harry screamed as Bellatrix cackled.

"I did! I killed Sirius Black, the little blood-traitor!" she sang. Sirius could feel Harry's anger like it was his own, could feel the quivering wand being brought up like it was him doing the action. But it couldn't be. He was dead. Unable to move, Sirius watched as Harry and his friends fought the Death Eaters and Voldemort himself. He would have been proud of his boy, if he hadn't been wondering how he could be watching what he was, or feeling what he was for that matter. When Harry finally got back to Hogwarts and fell asleep, Sirius was released from whatever spell held him in place and he fell on his rump.

"What... what happened to me?" he asked the empty air around him. He didn't get an answer. Not that he expected it, but it would have been nice after years of unanswered questions. Being locked in a cell with barely any light and not even a newspaper to read left one with a lot of time to ask questions, and dementors weren't exactly known for giving answers. Looking around, Sirius noticed that he was in an ivory colored room with walls filled with vials of swirling white mist with a pedestal near the front holding what he thought to be a pensieve. With a jolt, Sirius realized that the vials contained memories. Walking to the back, he saw a vial labeled October 31, 1981. The day the Potters died. Face fearful, Sirius nonetheless picked up the vial and poured the memory into the pensieve. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Sirius plunged into the memory. What he saw was not what he expected. It was night, and James was waving his wife into Harry's room.

"Lily! Take Harry and run! I'll hold him off, you just _run!_" the dark haired, bespectacled, man told the flame haired woman. Lily looked close to tears as she darted into Harry's room and knelt by his crib.

"Harry, mummy loves you. Daddy loves you. We will always love you, but right now you need to be brave and quiet," Lilly whispered to her son. Sirius felt like his heart would break, listening to the final words Lilly said _to her son_. Then James' shouts and Voldy's insane laughter drifted into the room. Sirius watched, bile rising in his throat, as Voldemort murdered Lilly and James Potter and turned his wand on Harry. Little Harry was waving his tiny fists in the air, crying out over the horror he had just witnessed. Laughing madly, Voldemort said,

"Now, child of prophesy, you will die. Just like your filthy mudblood mother. _Avada Kadavra!_" Sirius glared at the snake faced idiot, feeling an almost sadistic glee as the Unforgivable bounced back on the so called Dark Lord. He watched little Harry cry himself to sleep, tears falling even then, until Hagrid carried the boy away. That was when he was forced out of the pensieve. He was pale faced and shivering, but he forced himself to replace the memory. He knew where he was now, and who's memories were lining the room. He was in Harry's mind-space. But how?

"The arch!" Sirius exclaimed. He didn't know how. He didn't know why. But he did know that he had been cast into the mind of his godson and now had the ability to witness his whole life. As long as the boy was asleep at least. He would never miss a day of that boy's life again. Not when he was a passenger in his head. Sighing, Sirius began watching Harry's life, one day at a time. Harry groaned as he woke. He felt like he'd just had a 'remedial potions' lesson with Snape that had somehow gotten at his oldest memories. With another groan, he pushed himself out of bed and went down to breakfast. Unknown to the boy, Sirius watched with a careful eye. The former convict knew he couldn't do anything from his position, but it didn't stop him from trying to urge the boy. Nothing he did seemed to matter though. And he knew his prying from the night before had hurt the boy. He just couldn't bring himself to care overly much. After a day of hardship in one form or another, Sirius went back to watching Harry's early life. How could Dumbledore have let all that happen? Did he know what Petunia and Vernon Dursley were like? He felt like Minerva might have spent a day or two scouting the couple out, and she would have reported to Albus her findings. That brought up a few questions. Did she scout them? Did she tell Albus? Did Albus hear her? Did he ignore her? Did he want Harry miserable? Sirius shook his head. His thoughts were headed down a slightly traitorous road. If there was one thing he would never be it was a traitor. He had been punished more than enough for a perceived betrayal. The dog amimagus only had time for the first week at the Dursley's before Harry woke. It was more than enough to have the man growling under his breath all through breakfast, what he had seen. Vernon was bad, Petunia was worse, but even Dudley, a child barely older than Harry himself, was the worst. That a child so close, by blood and birth, would bully another, and be praised for it, was unthinkable. And yet, it happened. No wonder Harry had issues. It was a wonder he didn't have more, if his whole 'home' life was like that. Or worse, as it was likely to get as _Duddikins_ grew older, bigger, meaner, and stronger. That day, the day after Sirius had died, was just as rough as any normal day for an Auror, if not worse. How could children be so coarse? Sirius checked himself there. Hadn't he and James been just as rough as some of the kids Harry was having to deal with? It was a sobering thought. A sobering thought he shelved in his own 'mind-space' and would be content to forget forever. But thoughts never really leave, once they've been thought. They just become one of the tiny, not quite heard voices in the back of your mind. Sirius had a lot of those, and years of practice ignoring them. Too bad they always had a way of coming back.

Sirius quickly fell into a pattern of watching through Harry's eyes, failing to urge the boy, and raging at incompetent and biased teachers during the day and witnessing old memories at night. He marked the day he died with his wand, though he didn't know how he had the thing, so he didn't relive a day. Once was enough with the life of Harry Potter. Then again, there were a few good times. Like when Harry did accidental magic. Or rather, the accidental magic itself. The aftermath, meaning after the letter from the school or the call from a neighbor reached the Durselys, was enough to call forth the red haze that had landed Sirius in Azkaban. The monsters would beat the boy, call him a freak. Sirius was almost glad he was already dead. Almost. Then there were the times Harry would outwit someone. Sirius loved to watch his godson run verbal circles around someone. Too bad the Dursleys had to try squashing that out of the boy as well. When Sirius came out of the penseive the third time, he was glad that Harry was still at school. He might have tried to tell the boy to strangle his cousin if he were at 'home.' Somehow, Sirius made it the rest of the way through Harry's fifth year. Then came the summer 'vacation' at the Dursley's. After the first day, Sirius seriously regretted dying. '_If I had just had the good sense to stay home, to stay alive, I might have spared him another summer with these pigs!_' The man snarled to himself. It only got worse from there. Abuse by day, abuse by night, all summer long had both man and boy exhausted and frustrated. What was taking Dumbledore so long? Harry should be out of there by now! But he wasn't. It was torture, but they both made it through, somehow. Again Sirius was struck by how strong Harry's mind was. The kid was entitled to his issues, and Sirius was pleasantly surprised Harry didn't have more. Sirius himself wouldn't have been able to bear the ridicule and abuse, in its multitude of forms, without turning out almost as bad as Voldemort. "Dumbledore, you have lot to answer for. You _knew_ what Harry was going through and you did _**nothing**_." Sirius was beyond irritated. He was angry.

After the summer, Sirius growled his way through Harry's sixth year, wishing the boy would just _stop moping._ He hadn't died for Harry to drown in self-pity and misplaced guilt. And Dumbledore did next to nothing to help the lad. Sirius was growling enough during the day, but when it came to watching Harry's early life at night, Sirius was ready to tear someone limb form limb. Harry felt the rage as well, he just didn't know where it came from or what it was directed at. Curious as to why Harry had been antagonistic of Dumbledore the past year, Sirius skipped ahead to fifth year. He promptly began to swear six ways to Sunday at Albus Saint Dumbledore for turning away from Harry without so much as an 'I'm busy.' "Dumbledore, you just lost any shred of respect I ever had for you. May your judgment be swift, painful, and final," Sirius declared, just before the end of the year, eyes blazing. He had finished watching Harry's fifth year as an insubstantial by-stander and was beyond angry. He was _livid_ and only being dead kept him from killing the old headmaster then and there. Then that day came. The day that Dumbledore was killed by his own spy. Sirius had screamed and ranted and raged and watched the memory over and over. Nothing changed. Dumbledore, the wizard of too many titles, names, and far too much power and influence, was dead. Snape, the slimy, greasy, slightly evil bat of the dungeons had killed Albus Dumbledore. Sirius could barely believe it. Sure he had wanted Dumbledore to pay but, that was pushing it. His only comfort was that his cousin Draco wasn't as dark as his family, and he himself, would like the world to believe. Harry mourned, and rubbed his head as Sirius' nighttime activities caused him to dream at least part of what he watched and had much the same affect as Snape's 'lessons'. The dog animagus returned to his previous point in Harry's childhood and felt his anger at Dumbledore mounting again, just as his loathing of the Dursleys increased to match the pure hatred of all thing Muggle that blood supremacists held.

Harry's seventh year came with more pain. Sirius was torn between boiling rage, warm pride, and cold terror the entire year, summer and on the run. It didn't matter. He was furious at Voldemort, proud of his little Prongslet, and terrified for the young wizard's life, as well as the lives of his friends. It lasted the whole year, all three emotions. What really surprised him was his reaction to Dobby the House Elf's death. Perhaps it was because of how deeply Harry cared for the elf? Yes, that must be it. But he did wonder if maybe he had thought of the elf as a friend as well. The surprises and attacks and what-not that occurred were staggered and severe enough that Sirius was sure, had he actually had a heart, it would be damaged quite badly by now. When Sirius saw Snape die from his old master's hand, at first he felt viscous joy. Then the horror of how the potions master died hit him and he felt like retching. When had he become so cruel as to wish that on someone, to feel joy when they bled out with nothing and no-one there to help them while their so-called master walked away admiring their wand? Then he watched as Harry watched Severus Snape's memories and felt shame unlike anything he ever had before. He fell to the 'floor' and nearly wept. How could he be so blind? How much had Snape been influenced by the Marauders? "We all have much to answer for, don't we? Snape... Severus... I may have loathed you, and you may have loathed me, and perhaps we were both to blame for how crippling that mutual loathing became and how long it dragged on. The Marauders may have even had a hand in pushing you to Voldemort's side, but this? For this, I wish you peace at long last." He shook his head. He was dwelling on it too much. He was learning about Harry, not Snape. But the seeds of doubt were sown, and once sown, they can never really die. Then it came. The day that Harry appeared to die in order to destroy the part of Voldemort's soul inside him. Sirius wondered why he was stuck in his godson's body. He got frantic, wondering if he'd be tied to the slowly decaying body of his godson, Prongs' son, forever. Then Harry returned. Sirius was hard pressed to find a happier event in his own miserable life than the moment Harry came back from the dead. Pride welled up in the old Gryffindor's chest as he watched the Battle of Hogwarts, though sadness threatened to destroy him at the same time. So many, many, good people lost in a single, bloody, destructive, chaotic, blinding battle. The Last Marauder was among the dead, along with the wife he had finally, _finally_, found. At least Harry was named Godfather of the precious little Moonlet. Sirius ran out of old memories by the time Harry was twenty-seven, so he relived the happiest, including the ones with him in them. When Harry woke from those nights, Sirius felt grief from the young man. Along with fondness and a longing so strong Sirius almost regretted pulling up his own memory. At times he thought of reliving memories from his own childhood through Harry's Mind Pensieve, but he dismissed those thoughts. It would do the boy no good to have the memories of another playing in his dreams. So Sirius watched, and waited, and reminded his all too weary godson just what he was living for on the nights when life had been rough. Mostly it was his new family with Ginny and his three perfect little Prongslets, though sometimes he pulled up Ron, Hermione, and the whole host of friends Harry had made. Sometimes, on the darkest of nights, Sirius would pull up memories of Remus pranking his dog animagus friend, or vise versa. Slowly, far too slowly, Harry healed. When it came time for the Boy-Who-Lived to finally die, of a ripe old age and with his three youngest, beautiful, grandchildren keeping vigil, Sirius took a moment to sit back and think on his life. As he looked over what he had done in life, he reviewed how his actions had affected those around him. All those thoughts he had shelved dusted themselves off, all those barely hear voices began to shout. Grimacing, Sirius sorted through the thoughts, the sound in his own head, and as he did, a revelation came to him. With a bitter sneer on his face, Sirius finally admitted something to himself he hadn't allowed himself to recognize, but should have ages ago. "I was an impulsive idiot, and it cost me everything. I'd give almost anything to go back and right my wrongs." As the words left Sirius' mouth, a wisp of sliver smoke appeared before him and a directionless, emotionless, and genderless voice spoke to him saying,

"What _would_ you give, Sirius Black, if given the chance?" Sirius gave the mist, for there was nothing else he could really direct his burning gaze to, a determined glare.

"Anything but my family, my friends, my magic, and my memories." The Voice laughed.

"Anything but what shaped you the first time, huh?"

"Laugh if you wish, but as you said, that was what shaped me. Those four things are the four I wouldn't trade for anything," Sirius said, his eyes burning into the mist. The Voice laughed again, this time sounding fond.

"Of course, Mr. Black. As payment to return to the past and right your wrongs We require that you surrender your voice," the Voice said. Sirius nearly shouted out that they might as well take his magic, but he bit his tongue. He had said anything.

"If that is what it takes," he said resolutely. The mist seemed to jerk in surprise. Sirius gave it a grin. "What? Did you think I would refuse?" he asked.

"Well... We did expect you to object, at least a little," the Voice said, sounding a lot like James. Sirius' grin faltered slightly. "As taking your voice would interfere with your magic, we will take your sight and give you a scar."

"Fine... it wouldn't do to send me back unscathed if I kept my memories now would it? Though... I'd almost prefer you take my voice or all my looks than my sight. Being able to hear my friends, but not see them... it will hurt a lot," Sirius said, slightly forlorn. The mist wobbled slightly, as though it were unsure.

"You will have been in an accident that left you disfigured and with a limp. Also, you will have limited control over your left hand," the Voice said. Sirius nodded.

"All right then. I can live with scars, and find a way to work around a limp and a gimpy hand," he said, standing and reaching out to the mist. A tendril reached out and wrapped around his hand, which he then gave two firm shakes. The mist then formed into a hoop and a hospital room could be seen through it.

"Step through and lay on the bed. Your new memories will come slowly as you receive therapy and your body will be changed when you wake," the Voice said. Sirius gave a sharp nod and walked through the hoop and into the hospital. His clothes morphed into a hospital gown and he quickly got in bed. Sorting through his thoughts, analyzing his life, and bargaining for a second chance, no matter how quick that last one had been, had left him drained so thoroughly that he was asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. The next day, his life would begin again, and he was determined to make it count.

"Sirius dear? It's mummy, dear. I've brought Regulus to see you," a familiar, yet still loathed, voice said with uncharacteristic concern and love. Sirius tried to pry his eyes open, but he just couldn't. He settled for twitching. "Sirius?!" his mother asked, hope daring to enter her voice.

"Mum?" he croaked. He heard her sigh in relief, though he couldn't fathom _why_ the woman would be so glad to see he was still alive.

"Oh Sirius! When I heard about your accident I... oh Sirius!" Mrs. Black gushed, brushing his raven hair back from his forehead. He groaned.

"How," he paused and coughed, "how long have I... ?"

"You've been asleep for three days since that wild hypogryff attacked you son. I've been so worried!" his mother said. Sirius groaned.

"What date is it?" he asked, considering sitting up to stretch for the glass of water he was fairly certain sat on the bedside table. He decided against it. The bed felt far too comfortable.

"August 4, 1963," his mother, Walburga, told him. She was too overjoyed at seeing him alive and awake to wonder over his question. Of course, she could also have chalked it up to being disoriented after waking up from a three day coma. Which he was... aside from the coma part. He groaned again, then froze. 1963. He was only four years old, give or take.

"Wait... did you say Regulus?" he asked, trying to stop himself from freaking out over being four... and having a loving mother.

"Yes, dear. Here he is. Say hello to your reckless yet resilient older brother, Regulus," Walburga said, tugging at a small hand in hers, prompting an almost two year old Regulus Black from behind her legs. Okay, so maybe he didn't have a truly loving mother this time either. Oh well, he could deal with that. However, he thought that, with his greatly improved and much more adult mind, he could stay closer to his family and maybe help turn House Black's reputation around. Oh sure some of the older members of the family would be solidly stuck in their dark ways and curse him as a rebellious vagabond, but that was just something he'd have to live with until the Elders died and the newer generation took over. Change didn't always come over night and it was far _far_ too much to hope that key people had died, got stuck in the head of an abused child, realized the error of their ways, then got sent back to right their wrongs. Add to those plans, he would definitely stay out of Azkaban this time. He shuddered slightly and looked at his little brother. It was odd seeing him as a toddler again, but Sirius also felt the need to protect him this time around, knowing what awaited the boy if not given proper guidance.

"Hello Reggie. How's my perfect little brother doing?" he said with such tender fondness it nearly surprised him. Regulus looked up at his big brother, now scarred across his left cheek as well as his arm. It was hard for the boy to recognize that the person speaking was, in fact, his older brother. Sirius grinned at the boy and let out a short bark of laughter. "Come on Reggie! I know I must look a sight, but you don't need to be scared of me. It's just a few scars," he said, his eyes twinkling with mirth. Oh how he had missed taunting his little brother! Regulus would later develop a dry, sarcastic manner, but it was matched by a wit that Sirius loved to combat with his own.

"Siri... awake?" Regulus said, almost like a question. Sirius felt his chest warm at the sound of his brother's voice. Since learning _why_ his brother died, Sirius had been even sorrier that he hadn't known his brother all that well, and guilty that he had disliked his brother, even marginally. Saying you hate your family, in Sirius' case at least, meant quite a few people who didn't really deserve his hate. After all, he was related to almost half of Wizarding Britian.

"Yes, Reggie, I'm awake. Siri's awake, and will likely be ready to play in a few days. Do you want to play with Siri?" he said, shelving his contemplations over some of his more vicious statements from his previous life. Regulus smiled slightly, then nodded to his big brother. Sirius felt like his face would split. "Alright then! I can't wait to get out of here, when I get to play with my Reggie," he crowed, meaning every word. Walburga gave him a sharp look. "But I need to wait a few more days, just to make sure everything is okay, right mummy?" he added swiftly. Oh how he hated those looks his mother would give him. Mrs. Black smiled slightly and gave her son a nod, which nearly made the 'young boy' choke on the water he finally decided on drinking. _'Holy Hypogriffs! My mother actually knew how to smile?! Call the Prophet! We've got a front page story right here folks!'_ Sirius thought as he fought to get control of himself again. Luckily, he hadn't choked and none of the water had escaped his mouth, since he had taken a small sip. He didn't know what he'd do if his mother had seen how much her smile had effected him.

"Though why you've agreed before I even said a thing, I cannot fathom," she said, shaking her head, completely ignoring the plight of her eldest, if she even noticed. Sirius chuckled. He still had the Marauder ability to control his reactions. Nice.

"Guess you just finally gotten through to me, mum," he said, a mischievous glint in his clear gray eyes. Oh yes, he was very much a Marauder, even now. Walburga sighed and dropped a hand on his shoulder.

"I certainly hope _something_ got through to you. I'll come back tomorrow dear." He smiled warmly up at her.

"I'll see you then, Mother. Take care now, Regulus. I fully expect to have a proper romp with you as soon as I get home," Sirius said to his little brother. Regulus gave Sirius a confused look before leaving with his mother. Sirius sighed and closed his eyes, tired by the contact with his mother and younger brother, who have both been dead for many years to his mind. He groaned, a headache of monumental proportions brewing. "I really hope tomorrow is better than today," he growled, sounding as close to his mental age as he possibly could with the body of a four year old. If only hopes and dreams could be granted so easily.

Sirius looked at the mirror the next day and could barely recognize himself. Pearl white scars stretched across his already pale face. He looked down at his left arm and saw how the scars went against the scars on his face, and a memory popped up. He had fallen and lifted his arm horizontally above his head, his face turned halfway to the ground, catching the claws of the hyopgriff across the broad part of his arm and down his cheek. It was only his arm being in the way that saved his eye. He lifted the gown above his right leg and saw the slightly diagonal scars where the claws had cut into his leg as he fled, cutting the hamstring above his knee. That scar would make it hard for him to bend his knee, but not as hard as it would have been had he been hamstrung the traditional way, across the back of the knee. He flexed his hand and felt a slight sense of loss as it barely responded at all. He glared at it, then hissed about The Mist, sighed, and looked back at the mirror. "You're still a rather handsome boy," the mirror said, responding to his questing gaze. He smirked.

"Think the girls will still be falling all over me in a few years?" he asked cheekily. After all, he was still Sirius Black. The mirror chuckled.

"Aye, that I do. A fine looking man you'll be, I don't doubt it," it said. Sirius gave it a softer smile, remembering looking in the mirror while being fitted for dress robes for his best friend's wedding. He still remembered how he had looked that day. Silky black hair falling to his shoulders in soft waves, a roughly triangular face, laughing silver-gray eyes, and dashing black robes with red and gold accents.

_'Add the scars and that's how it will be this time. Only thing different will be the temperament. And not just of me,'_ Sirius thought, steeling himself for his self-appointed task. Or was it self-appointed? The Mist certainly didn't have to send him back. Perhaps _it_ meant for him to change the world. He sighed, knowing that there was no way he could know the answer to that question, along with many others. He turned back to the mirror and gazed at the scars marring his face, committing them to memory and learning to love them. They were a part of him and there was nothing anyone could do to rid him of them. It was the price he paid for a second chance. He snorted and sat back on his bed, eyes listless and mind buzzing. There was so much he could do with this chance. He could be a better friend, a better brother, a better son, a better _man_. Could he even help Severus? Would he be able to keep Peter from going dark? If he were a better, more loving, brother, would Regulus live a better life? If he could be his own man and still honor his family, would he have a better relationship with his parents? Would James Potter still be his friend? Would he still want to be James' friend, if he wasn't as reckless? He shook his head. _'There will be time for those questions and worries later. For now, I just need to focus on getting better and perfecting my four-year-old act,'_ he told himself. The mediwitch came with his lunch and he thanked her cordially, making her smile and laugh at him. He smiled softly as she called him cute and ate his vegetables gladly, or as gladly as a four year old possibly could.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Only some of the plot is mine. And... maybe a few Ocs because J.K. didn't flush out this year group. Enjoy!

**Chapter 2:** Adjusting to a New Life

The next day Sirius gingerly sat up and looked around the room he was staying in. It was a typical, sterile, painfully white St. Mungo's Hospital room with the standard hospital bed, though there was a vase of flowers on a small table beside his bed. He smiled. Scarlet Geranium, Crab-apple Blossoms, and Euphorbia in a purple vase. "Mum, are you trying to tell me something?" he asked lightly, his voice fitting with his supposed four years of life, even if his words didn't fit half as well.

"Why ever would you say that, Sirius?" Walburga Black asked as she entered. Sirius grinned his old, trouble-heralding grin at her.

"Scarlet Geranium: Stupidity, Crab-apple Blossoms: ill-temper, Euphorbia: persistence, and Purple: the color of creative imagination that can be individual, immature, and impractical, depending on the day. Honestly mother, is that how you see me? A stupid, ill-tempered, persistent, immature and impractical boy with far too much imagination?" he asked, ever so innocently. Walburga looked at him in surprise.

"I... where did you learn to talk like that?" she sputtered. Or would have, if a Noble Black could sputter. Sirius' grin simply grew more feral, displaying his pleasure at throwing his mother off kilter.

"Well, as you said, _something_ must have gotten through to me. Perhaps this is a result of you leaving me with cousin Narcissia." Walburga gave her son a chastising look, but thought, in the back of her mind, that maybe leaving her young son in the company of females for more than a half hour wasn't the wisest thing to do. Four-year-old's were impressionable after all.

"Very well. Who would you like to stay with when mummy has to leave if not with your uncle Cygnus and Aunt Druella?" she asked. Sirius grinned.

"Uncle Alphard!" he piped, knowing Alphard had been his favorite uncle, in both worlds. Walburga frowned slightly. "Though, sometimes, I could stay with the Potters, or the Malfoys. Though, I really would prefer the Potters," he added, hoping the thought of him going to the Malfoys would appease her enough to allow her to consider his first two choices. He didn't really want to have to listen to Lucius prattle on about how he is superior. Honestly, the boy could talk for hours about how being a Malfoy made it almost impossible for one to not be considered for Minister of Magic, or at least five council or board chairmanships. Though, Lucius would always say he'd have to turn down half the requests given to him.

"Have to leave some for the little people. They should be glad to even get our scraps," Lucius would say when asked why, if he liked power so much, he would turn them down. Sirius forced down a shudder at the thought.

"Well... I suppose we could alternate who you send time with. Though, I don't much care for that Potter boy. Too wild. Far too much like you. An hour, two at the most, is all you'll have with the Potters my boy," Walburga said, nodding to herself as if she had made a grand and difficult decision. Sirius smiled softly, like he never had in his first life, at his mother.

"If you say so, Mother Dearest," he said, voice as soft as his smile. Walburga gave him a strange look that melted into one of shock as she took in the old, sad look in her son's eyes and the wry upward twist of his lips. Even the gruesome scars on his face couldn't stop her from seeing a whole, handsome, and world weary man looking back at her as though from a horrible future where everything fell apart before him. Even his youth and his disfigurement couldn't keep Mrs. Black from seeing Padfoot, fresh from a loss and desperate to right the wrongs he had seen.

"Are you really my son?" she asked, reaching out her hand. Sirius' eyes grew, if possible, even sadder and his smile a little less warm.

"Mother, I solemnly swear, upon my magic, that I am Sirius Black the Third, son of Orion and Walburga Black of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black," he said, holding up his wand hand and looking directly into her eyes. She gave a jerking nod and turned to the door.

"Well, Orion is visiting a friend of his. Would you like me to fetch him, tell him you're awake?" Sirius chuckled, again causing his mother to see him a good twenty years older and unscarred, though he didn't know it.

"If you wish, Mother," he said softly. Walburga shivered slightly and went to get her husband, hoping the man would better understand what had happened to their eldest son. Sirius simply chuckled to himself as his mother left, obviously thrown off guard by his mental maturity. When Orion Black entered the room to see his scarred little four year old son chuckling, he understood why his wife was a little off kilter. That laughter didn't sound like a four year old.

"Sirius," he said softly. The laughing boy snapped his head up at the sound. A slow grin, unimpeded by the scars marring the left side of his face, spread across his lips.

"What? No 'welcome back to the realm of the living?' I almost feel insulted," Sirius said. Orion shivered and his son let out a soft laugh. "Sorry, guess that was a little much."

"Yes, Sirius, it was a little much," the older Black said as he came around to sit in front of his son. Sirius' grin took on its natural trickster quality as the boy leaned back and slowly pulled his feet up under him, wincing slightly as he lifted his right leg. The hypogriff's claws had cut through the tendons just above his knee as he ran, causing him to fall and try to defend himself with his left arm, as he had turned his face away toward the forest floor. Orion shook himself from the diagnostic the healers had given him and focused on his son. Sirius was watching him with unreadable eyes and a faint smile, his grin from earlier gone with his grimace of pain. "Son, can you tell me what, exactly, happened four days ago?" Sirius sighed and rubbed the back of his head, his fingers moving but unable to uncurl. Orion felt sadness at the sight, knowing his son's hand would never function properly ever again, but brushed it off in favor of trying to find out exactly what happened that horrid day.

"I am sorry, Father, but I cannot remember. Perhaps in a few days? I am still a bit... muddled," Sirius said, hoping the formal tone of his reply would make his father happy. It did, slightly. Orion sighed, but knew he'd get no more from his son that day. His eyes wandered the room until they landed on the vase Walburga had sent.

"So, Walburga has a sense of humor," he said. Sirius snickered.

"You should have seen her face when I told her what that bouquet and vase meant. I thought she would faint," Sirius said, fighting to hold back his chuckles. Orion shook his head, though his eyes were twinkling as well.

"Now Sirius, be serious." The little boy gave his father a mock reproachful look and said, with all the dignity he could muster,

"I am always Sirius." Orion shook his head and left, not wanting to loose his composure in front of his son. If Sirius ever knew he had gotten his sense of humor from his father... Orion shuddered to think what the boy would do with the knowledge.

/*/

A week later, Sirius was sent home with orders to rest his leg as much as he could and use a cane whenever possible. He sneered at the offending piece of wood. How dare they saddle him with this... this... Malfoy-ish monstrosity! He would have refused it if not for his mother who was glaring at him from behind the healer who held the cane, which had a sizing charm on it so he would never have to buy another one if he didn't want to. Which he didn't. Honestly, his family knew how much he disliked Lucius and the little Malfoy heir already carried around a cane, though he said it was more of a scepter. Sirius snorted to himself. It was a cane, and it will be a cane in the future, and he was determined to call it what it was. So, he called it a cane. He continued sneering at the thing. "Sirius! Come down for dinner son!" called Walburga. Sirius stood and moved toward the door for his first meal out of the hospital. "And don't even think about leaving your cane!" He snarled. Darn that woman and her motherly instincts, wherever they had suddenly sprung from! And curse who or whatever gave them to her and wherever it was that decided to send them as well! He grabbed the cane and stomped, to the best of his ability, down the stairs and across the corridor to the dining room with as impressive and dark a glower as he could muster. Orion gave him a reproving look, which he ignored and fell into his chair.

"Manners, Sirius," Orion said. Sirius glared.

"I'm four, just got out of the hospital, and am still recovering from finding out I can barely bend my right knee. Cut me some slack," he growled. Orion sighed.

"You're acting like a teenager. Stop," he said. Sirius grumbled a little more before sighing.

"I wanted to play with Reg outside once I was released. Now I can't go anywhere without this blasted cane that reminds me of Lucius. Can you really blame me for being a bit upset?" he said. Orion sighed again.

"No. I suppose not. Just, please, try to be civil?" Sirius mimicked his father's sigh, but nodded.

"Thank you, dear," his mother said. Sirius shook his head and waited to be served. He couldn't shake the feeling of eyes on him as he carefully cut his food and chewed slowly, savoring the flavors. Glancing up, he saw his mother and father watching him in mild surprise.

"What? I was stuck in the hospital for almost a week and a half. Do you know how awful hospital food is?" he said, uncomfortable with the looks his parents were giving him.

"Yes but... your table manners!" Walburga said. Sirius sighed.

"What about them?"

"They are... existent." He rolled his eyes.

"Really? That's what has you looking at me like I grew a second head?" he asked, peeved. His parents sighed and might have smiled, a little, before turning to their own dinner. Sirius sighed. He knew he was acting too old, but he couldn't help it. It was natural to him, even if he had his memories 'back.' Dinner progressed normally from there, but Sirius stomped up the stairs after his mother reprimanded his for trying to leave the cane behind. They could hear him banging and clanging up the stairs muttering about stupid canes and smirking ferrets and bloody hypogriffs and how he would find a way to strangle 'that freaky mist' for making it so he needed a cane. Orion and Walburga sighed at the mutterings of their eldest.

"I didn't realize he hated canes that much. And what did he mean about smirking ferrets?" Orion asked. Walburga shook her head.

"He called it 'Malfoy-ish' earlier, Orion. Do you know why he might have a grudge against the Malfoy's?" she asked. Orion sighed and massaged his forehead, futility trying to stave off the impending headache.

"No, not really. Or rather, not against the whole family. I have heard him muttering about how he hated Lucius' arrogant personality, but why would that make him hate his cane that much?" Walburga sighed.

"Lucius carries around a cane because he thinks it makes him look distinguished. Personally I find it endearing, but Sirius might think it simply arrogant. I can understand him disliking arrogance, but hating canes because of Lucius?"

"I can understand it. I wouldn't want to touch a guitar since it reminds me of that idiot Weasley."

"Orion!"

"He takes after me and you know it. He just... is more open about things. I was a bit reckless when I was younger, but my father straightened me out. Sirius just needs some guidance, that's all."

"I cannot see you in that boy Orion."

"I can see myself in him far too much, Walburga dear. Let me work with him. I know how to deal with his personality type." Walburga sighed, but conceded to her husband.

"Fine. If you think you can turn him into a proper Black I won't stop you. Just please, be gentle. He has been through a lot, what with that nasty hypogriff incident."

"I will, don't worry," Orion said before he hugged his wife.

/*/

Unbeknown to his parents, Sirius had faked going upstairs in order to hear what they would say when they thought he wasn't around. As he listened to their conversation, he wondered to himself if his parents were always like this or if it was because he was in a different world. Had he really inherited most of his personality from his father? And since when was a Weasley a guitarist? And why would his father hate the man so much that he wouldn't touch a guitar? Had he stolen his father's first girlfriend with a song played on a guitar? It would make sense. Sirius hated Lucius because he grew up to be a death eater. Plus the blond was a pompous windbag who threw money or spells at his problems to make them disappear. Slimy git. He sighed and when silently up to his room, mulling over the conversation he had just heard as he stared at the ceiling. Just how different was this world? How different could he make it? He shook his head and pushed off the bed. Crossing to his desk, ignoring his cane, Sirius pulled a piece of parchment and a quill toward him and started a list. He wrote down the major events of his first life, and the personalities of the people closest to him. Then he added what he knew of the world he was in currently. Sighing and rubbing his wrist, he surveyed the list. "That's a lot of stuff for thirty-four plus years," he said to himself. Chuckling slightly, Sirius began planning how he would sway his brother while also making his parents more... caring, toward him. By the time Sirius turned out his light, his head hurt right alongside his wrist. "Guess that's what I get for writing so long and thinking so hard," he muttered as sleep carried him away on soft wings of blissful ignorance.

/*/

The next day saw Sirius hard at work in the library. Since he had been out for essentially a month, he was behind in his studies. Supposedly. What he was really doing was learning more about the strange new world he was in. Obviously, if his mother acted _nice_ to him and his _father_ had the same sense of humor, or a sense of humor _at all_, it _had_ to be a very different world. Heck, his very existence was proof of that. So far, he had learned that every major event in the Wizarding and Muggle worlds had gone the same, mostly. There were a few families whose views were different, but it was mostly the same. _His_ family was the same, as were the Potters. Sirius sighed as he closed the latest book to become victim to his curiosity. Why did he chose this again? Oh yeah, to save those closest to him. Another sigh, another book, another three hours, and Sirius groaned before abruptly standing and, with a grimace, grabbing his cane. "I need food. This is getting me no-where," he groused to the somewhat empty air. I say somewhat, because the air was full of dust and magic, magic dust if you will. He made his way carefully to the kitchen where he was met by Kreatcher. This was another anomaly. He didn't hate the not-so-ancient house elf, and the house elf didn't hate him. They were at something of an impasse, but with Sirius' 'new' outlook on house elves, gained when he watched Dobby interact with Harry and his own sorrow at the excitable creature's death, Kreatcher seemed to be warming up to him. "Hey Kreatcher, do you think you could help me get something to eat? I've been reading for almost six hours and I'm a bit hungry," he said. Kreatcher gave him a shrewd look, but quickly fixed his young master some food.

"Little Master should not go so long without food. Little Master should have called Kreatcher," the bat eared creature muttered. Sirius gave him a long suffering smile.

"Little Master shall call Kreatcher the next time he goes on a library book marathon," he said teasingly as he began to eat his not-quite-snack. As he ate, Sirius pondered his new relationship with the house elf of the House of Black. He could almost see where his Regulus had been coming from, loving the thing. Then he stopped right there. Regulus hadn't seen Kreatcher as a thing, and that was why Kreatcher liked Regulus. Smirking at his own stupidity, Sirius decided to start calling Kreatcher 'he' or 'Kreatcher' in his mind. Perhaps seeing house elves as living creatures with gender and a free will, magical binding aside, would further distance him from the 'proper' purebloods even as he tried to stay in his parents good graces. He sighed and retreated to his room when his meal was through, not forgetting to thank Kreatcher to his face on his way out. As he sat in his room, he flexed his hand, staring at the most visible reminder that this was not the life he had left behind. A melancholy smile stretched across his face. "Well, I'll just have to take life as it comes, after all," he said to his ceiling, chuckling at the irony of his own words. Wasn't he making up a list of things to do over the next thirty odd years? Wasn't he planning out the lives of others? He snorted. Well, until he gets to a point where he _could_ influence things, he'd just have to do what came to him. A wicked grin broke out on his face. That meant fun, usually in the form of pranks. A similarly wicked chuckle ripped from his throat. He did his best work with a partner, and he had just the one. All he needed was to groom his little brother into the perfect partner in crime... with his own input and flare of course, but a partner in crime nonetheless. His parents looked at his door in askance as his almost mad chuckles floated out. They knew enough about their son to know that Sirius' rebellious stage had been entered early, and that he not only had a flare for theatrics but also held a lot of sway in what his brother thought. If Sirius were planning something, and judging from that laugh he was, then it was reasonable to assume he would drag Regulus into it as well. Perhaps they should have an elf watch them at all times so as to make sure Sirius didn't corrupt his brother. Too bad Kreatcher had a soft spot for Regulus, and was developing one for Sirius.

/*/

Regulus watched his brother as the elder Black carefully walked out onto the yard. It hurt the boy to see his strong older brother looking so unsure. Almost as if he had heard his brother's thoughts, Sirius looked up with a wild grin. "Better for me to be unsure and unsteadily walking on the earth than to be surely and steadily laying _in_ the earth, little brother," he said, straightening his back. Regulus felt a little better, seeing his brother so determined not to let anything stop him, and so he began to play the game his brother had described. It was rather fun, once he got the hang of it. Being able to beat Sirius might have helped a little, but Sirius was just happy to be outside and playing a part in making his brother laugh, so he wasn't too upset about losing. He even lost a few games almost on purpose.

"Thank you, Siri," Regulus said some time later, flat on his back and panting slightly. Sirius laughed lightly from his position above his incapacitated brother.

"Say the word, little brother, and I'll make the time to see to your needs," he said fondly, happy to see his brother being a kid. They had precious little time for it after all. Regulus rolled over to look at his big brother.

"Why you say that?" he asked, his limited vocabulary failing to express his meaning. Lucky for him, Sirius had a good idea what he meant.

"Because, it's a promise. A promise to be the best big brother I can be, Regulus. You are precious, and precious things need to be tended and cared for. That's what I'll do for you, as your big brother," the fake child told his confused brother. Regulus blinked, uncomprehending, then smiled widely.

"Siri bestest big brother ever!" he said, and then tackled his brother, pressing his face into the cool green grass. Sirius did his best to laugh before he rolled over and pressed Regulus into the grass.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I can't give as good as I get!" he crowed, and soon the brothers were rolling around on the ground in a wrestling match that could only loosely be called friendly. Walburga and Orion were a little puzzled by Sirius. The child had progressed leaps and bounds in manners, speech, and his lessons. It was astounding that instead of hindering his development, his coma had helped it. However, as they watched their children play, the elder Blacks couldn't help but smile. Perhaps Sirius was an odd child, but if it meant he and his brother were happy, they could live with it.

/*/

"Mother? Who are the Pettigrews?" a six year old Sirius asked his mother with wide eyed curiosity. He had already determined that James was well on his way and wouldn't mind him going off to meet a new friend. Since he was almost certain Remus had already been bitten, he had a feeling the only other Marauder he could get at would be Peter and thus, the question. Walburga sighed heavily. Her eldest son was a wild one, and oh-so-hard to control. Especially with Orion telling her to let Sirius be Sirius and not to force her worldview on the boy. Now the child was asking irrelevant questions!

"Not people you should need concern yourself with my dear," she answered. Sirius frowned slightly.

"You know mother, if you showed them what a fine young gentleman you've raised me to be, you might be able to introduce them to your way of thinking and have them respond favorably. Come on mother, I need _friends!_ James is okay, and Cissi isn't _too_ bad, but I need a _guy friend_ who _isn't_ on my family tree! Please mother? I know the Pettigrews have a son my age and I want to meet him! Don't make me go behind your back on this mother," he said, losing his temper almost halfway through his request. Why did he plan on being a Slytherin again? This was typical Gryffindor bullheadedness! Oh, yeah. That was why. He didn't want to be a reckless idiot who always charged in wand blazing and only asked questions when at least one person was on the floor bleeding. Walburga sighed. Her eldest was right and as stubborn as a mule when he wanted to be. She sighed again.

"Alright. You win. I'll introduce you to the Pettigrews," she relented. Sirius beamed.

"THANKS MUM!" he crowed, dashing up the stairs to do goodness knew what. Orion stalked out from behind the door to the study where he had stood to listen in.

"You knew he would demand to meet the other families, dear heart. You cannot hold it against him should he want to befriend other boys," he said. Walburga sighed.

"He is far too tolerant, Orion. I feel as though he would welcome a Werewolf into his home, marry a muggle without a thought, and keep squibs in the Family. Should that happen, I'd be forced to cast him out," she said. Orion shook his head.

"I still say give him space. When his behavior begins to shame our House I will ask father to disown him, but not before. I know you follow the Old Ways, but perhaps Sirius is on to something, perhaps he feels it is time for a Change, perhaps even a Great Change," he told his wife. Walburga would have none of it, but kept her peace. She knew Orion was a Slytherin and had a plan. She just wished he'd tell her what it was.

/*/

"Hi, I'm Sirius Black!" Sirius chirped at Peter, swallowing down the blind hate that was bubbling in the back of his mind. Peter looked at him suspiciously and Sirius mentally chuckled like the mass murderer he had been framed as. "Oh come on! It's not like I'm going to _kill _you. Painfully. And viciously. With lots of blood flying everywhere. And screams, _lots of screams_. No! I want to be your _friend_. Your _**best friend**_!" he said, though his voice might have slipped into sadistic murderer territory once or twice. Peter was shivering and even his parents were a little afraid of what the Black Heir might do to their poor, cowardly, weak willed, precious son. Sirius opened his eyes all the way, the cold steel revealed freezing the Pettigrew family in place, stealing their breath as he spoke his next words. "But rest assured, if you _ever_ betray me..." he chuckled, an extra chill running down his audience's spines, "I _will_ find you and I _will __**end you**__._ Slowly, painfully, and with as much blood and gore as I can possibly manage."

"And why would I want to be your friend again?" Peter asked, shocking his parents with his boldness. Sirius grinned a feral grin, that would soon become a trademark of his, at the mousy-haired boy.

"Why, because I'd do the same to anyone who so much as thought of harming you or any of my other friends. Duh," he answered. Peter felt that same shiver of fear roll down his spine as he looked into the haunted eyes of Sirius Orion Black, Heir to the House of Black and time-and-dimension-traveling-tragic-war-hero extraordinaire.

"Why tell me what you would do should I betray you or someone hurt your friends?" Sirius' face took on an even more frightening look as he thought about _why_ he was doing this in the first place.

"To let you know who to hide behind when war breaks out, little mouse. No-one harms me and mine without retribution. A petty trick or a mostly harmless prank and that retribution will be more akin to a slap on the wrist. A deliberate attack that results in serious injury and my retribution will be as swift and painful as possible. Kill someone I care about and there is no hole deep enough, no mountain tall enough, and no country far enough away to save you from a painful, humiliating, showy, and _permanent_ end by my hand. That is why I told you Peter. Take it as a warning or an offer, I don't care which. Just know I'd prefer if we could be friends and perhaps, in time, equals," Sirius said, slowly remembering all the good times he had had with Peter and realizing, he could start over with this one. He didn't have to be facing a betrayer at the moment. He could be facing the friend he had always thought Peter was before that fateful night. His predatory look faded to be replaced with open friendship and more than a little sadness. "I don't want to see anyone, aside from murders, die before their natural life is up, Peter. And mark my words, a war is coming. I want to see you on the right side, because I would hate to see you across the battle lines," he added. Peter was looking at him questioningly.

"How are you so sure?" he asked. His parents were being ignored, but for once they didn't care. There was something odd about this Black. The way he spoke... there was more going on here then met the eye, of that they were sure. Sirius suddenly seemed very tired, like he had already lived through the war he was predicting.

"Because, I've seen the signs, Peter. They are there, but only if one is looking. He's being careful, but I _know_ he's getting ready to make a move. A Dark Lord is rising, Peter, and I don't think the current generation is going to be the one to stop him. I am going to fight him, that much is certain, but I can't do it alone. I need friends, and I want you to be one of them. What would you rather be known for, standing with the Light, falling with the Dark, dying somewhere in the middle, or leaving Britain for parts unknown like a bloody coward?"

"I am a coward, Black. Nothing you say is likely to change that."

"Even if I were to help you draw out your true power and prepare you for the coming storm?"

"Black..."

"Come on Peter! Think! I know you have a brain, and if you put in the effort and had proper training, you could have your own brand of brawn. Why would you waste your talent? Why hide behind others? You'll never have friends if you don't stand up to _something_ every now and then, make your voice heard."

"Stop calling me Peter! I don't know you!"

"I know _you_, Peter Pettigrew. Just like I know a lot of things someone my age likely shouldn't. Give me a chance, and I can teach you what I know," Sirius replied, nearly begging.

"Why do you want me?" Peter asked, fed up with the madman before him. Sirius sighed, and ran a hand through his wavy black hair.

"Because if I don't get you, _he_ might and _that_... that I simply cannot allow," he answered. Peter sighed.

"Two weeks, Black. You have two weeks to win me over. But no more speeches! I don't think I could stand another one of those from you," he relented. Sirius suddenly gave the impression of a slightly larger than normal black puppy wagging his tail energetically, and very, _very_, happily.

"You won't regret it Peter! One day you'll look back on today and remark, 'that was the beginning of the rest of my life,'" he said, nearly bouncing in his joy. Peter shook his head. Sirius Black was strange, no doubt about it.

"Some how I doubt that," Peter muttered, then yelped as Sirius dragged him off, already knowing it was the beginning of a 'beautiful' friendship. Three weeks later Peter was introduced to James. Between the two of them, Sirius and James managed to draw Peter out of his shell and get him to speak up about things. By the time their Hogwarts letters arrived Sirius felt that Peter could be considered closer to his equal then the first time around. It was a cheering thought, but paled quite a bit when he thought about reuniting with Remus. The werewolf's death had hit him hard, possibly harder than it hit Harry, and that was saying something. He couldn't wait for September first, when the Marauders would finally be truly reunited.

A/N: And there you have it. Early life finished and Peter introduced. Yeah, I skipped over this a lot and you can complain if you wish, but I think it'll get a bit more interesting in the upcoming chapters. I'm open to a prank idea or two by the way. Just thought I'd throw that out there. I'm not a prankster myself so I need help on that. Anyway, let me know what you thought!

Proverbs 4:13

"Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Only the time traveler plot is mine. And maybe a few OC's and middle names. Other than that... J.K.'s.

**Chapter 3:** Fist Year Begins!

Sirius was bouncing with excitement. He wanted to see Moony again! He forced himself to slow down and think about that day, so many years ago, when he had first met Remus Lupin. He didn't have long to think before it started to happen right in front of him. A painfully shy, quite, sandy-haired boy with scars, much like Sirius' own, stood beside a man who looked remarkably like Remus would in future years. Taking a steadying breath, Sirius strode forward. "Hello there," he said, trying to act cool, and feeling like he was failing miserably. He kept seeing _his_ Moony, Harry's Moony, Dora's Moony. Dead Moony. The boy in front of him smiled, unsure about so many things Sirius wasn't sure what he was unsure about in that moment, and Sirius saw Professor Lupin, smiling reassuringly at his students.

"Hi. I'm Remus John Lupin, but most people just call me 'hey you,'" he said, his smile attempting to become joking. Sirius chuckled.

"I think you need to work on your jokes. Anyway, I'm Sirius Orion Black, but most people call me, 'you mangy mutt!' Nice to met you, Hey You," he said, holding out his hand. Remus' smile was back to what the time-traveler remembered as he took the hand and shook it firmly.

"Nice to met you to, You Mangy Mutt. Mind if I ask how you got that name?" Sirius' answer was his trademark canine grin.

"I growl, snarl, bark, and generally cause trouble, just like a mutt. Though," here he gave Remus a very serious look, "mutts are loyal creatures, and I am no exception. Earn my trust, my loyalty, and I would _die_ for you." Remus blinked, seeing what Sirius had already named an After-Image-of-a-Dead-Life.

"Wolves are rather loyal too," he found himself saying. Sirius smiled fondly, looping an arm around his shoulders.

"Believe me, I know," he said, before realizing where they were and turning to Mr. Lupin, who was watching in amusement. "Hello, Mr. Lupin right?" The man nodded.

"I'm glad my son will have a friend at Hogwarts. He was rather nervous on the way over," he said. Sirius smiled up at the man.

"I'll make sure he has fun, but I'll be counting on him to remind me when it's enough. Think you can handle that, Remus?"

"Fun? Maybe. Holding you back? Not likely," he said, almost as if falling into an old familiar rhythm. Sirius laughed, along with Mr. Lupin, James, and Peter.

"Oh hey, when did you guys get here?" Sirius asked in surprise. James chuckled while Peter looked a bit sheepish.

"Oh, I got here when you were talking about loyalty and stuff," James said with a grin. Peter shivered, remembering his first meeting with the Black Heir.

"Oh no. Don't tell me he gave the 'touch my pack and I _kill you_. Painfully' speech," he said. James gave him an odd look while Remus looked a little creeped out. Sirius laughed nervously.

"No, Pete, I didn't give either of them that speech. Just you. James is my... second cousin? Third? Anyway, he's close enough for me to find him relatively easily on my family tree. And I've known him even since I was... four? Five?"

"You met me when I was six. I was traumatized. You gave descriptions! Blood, guts, gore, screams. I distinctly remember you saying something about a lot of screams," Peter said, cutting Sirius off. The Black glared.

"Remus... Remus isn't... he doesn't..." Sirius sighed, shaking his head. "Pete, there are things about me even I don't fully understand. How I determine who needs a good scare and who just needs a hug and a bar of chocolate is one of those. Speaking of a hug and a bar of chocolate," Sirius said, stopping and reaching into his bag. A little while later, he let out a squeak of triumph and pulled out...

"Is that Honeyduke's chocolate?" asked James, eyes going wide at the sight of it. Sirius chuckled.

"I love Owl Order," he said, before turning to Remus and enveloping him in a giant hug. "You'll never have to be alone again, Remus. I swear it," he whispered before he pulled back and shoved the chocolate into his hands. "There you are! A hug and a bar of chocolate. Just what the doctor ordered!" Peter and James shook their heads.

"Mental that one," they said as one. Remus was just staring at the chocolate in his hands, marveling at the feeling the simple gesture gave him.

"Never along again, huh?" he whispered, knowing only he would hear. Sirius, however, turned with an easy roughish grin.

"You better believe it mate," he said, a knowing twinkle in his eye. With a shake of the head, Remus followed the little group to a compartment on the train, hoping it wasn't all a dream.

/*/

Lily Evans was nervous. Normally, she was unruffled but this... this was different. She was leaving all she had ever known behind and venturing into the unknown with only a single, abused, boy from her poor, dreary little neighborhood by her side. She didn't mind Severus. He was bright, witty, and seemed to genuinely like her for her, not her looks. Yes, Lily Evans was beautiful even at the age of eleven. But this its a love story about a poor boy who fell in love with the girl next door who eventually loved him back, no matter how much Severus wished it would be, and their solitude was shattered by the arrival of a scarred boy with steel gray eyes who was leading three other boys. One was lean, with sandy brown hair and a nervous look about him. There were a few scars on his face as well, but they added to his look, saying he was tougher than he seemed, and there was a kindly feel about him. The boy beside the first one had messy black hair, glasses, a roughish grin, and dancing hazel eyes. The last boy looked like he didn't was rather annoyed it the first boy. He had hair the color of honey that lay mostly flat and small, watery, blue eyes. Actually, the last boy looked a bit like a rat, the third looked like he was trying too hard to be cool, the second looked vaguely wolf-like, and the first gave off the impression of a rather large puppy eagerly looking for a place to play. "Hello there! I'm Sirius Black, nice to meet you, mind if we sit here?" the first boy said rather rapidly. Severus sneered, until Lily elbowed him in the side and motioned, with a smile, for them to sit. Sirius gave her a wide smile and sat beside Severus, who seemed to wish he were anywhere but there. Sirius mentally snickered. '_Too bad Sevvy! If all goes well, you'll end up one of my best mates!_' However, Severus was oblivious to Sirius' thoughts and gave James a considering look, just like last time. Sirius sighed. Did it _have_ to start like this? "Potter, what House do you think you'll get Sorted into?" Severus asked with a faint sneer.

"Gryffindor! Just like my Dad and Granddad!" Sirius sighed again. Apparently it did. Knowing what would come if he didn't head it off, Sirius spoke.

"Severus, please, a House isn't everything and the reputation of one does not determine the disposition of the many. Sure James is a _little_ head strong, but so are a lot of people and you haven't sneered at them. Why is that, I wonder? Is it because of one's name, one's family, or one's mind? I'm living proof that your name, your family, doesn't determine who you are. And James actually _does_ have a brain. He just chooses to use it to cause mischief. And I dare say he has more fun than you or _Malfoy_. So please, use your magnificent mind before you speak. Who knows, maybe we can include you in the fun... without making you a victim. And if you _do_ turn into one of our victims, don't worry. I'll keep the others from going too far. I'm kind of an expert on 'too far.'" Severus was shocked. Sirius Black had been hailed as the most rebellious, reckless, foolhardy, and immature Black in generations. How could it be that he was being the mature one? Shouldn't that have been Lupin? Even his friends were staring at Sirius. He shrugged. "Have you _met_ my mother? Honestly, she makes hypogriffs look like domestic horses, and I of all people should know they _aren't,_" he said, tilting his head so the light caught his scars, making them stand out in grisly relief from his tanned skin. Severus shivered slightly as he took them in. Catching his eye, Sirius gave him a serious look and asked, "Haven't you ever wonder _why_ I am called 'The Lucky Fool?'" Severus shook his head and Sirius gave him a predatory grin, made more terrifying by the scars on his face. "I should have died the day that hyopgriff attacked me, but I didn't. I survived and came out with nothing more than a few scars, a gimpy hand, and a slight limp." James whistled.

"Always did say you have a flair for the dramatic," he said. Remus shook his head at his – dare he think it – friends.

"Did you seriously have to do that Sirius?"

"Of course! Because I'm Sirius," the boy said, flashing them a jaunty grin. Peter groaned.

"Bad pun, Sirius. Bad pun," he said, shaking his head. Sirius chortled. Oh, how he loved messing with these guys! They made it too easy. Especially since he was a good hundred and forty-seven years older... mentally anyway. So many years worth of experience, locked up inside his head. With a contented sigh, he sat back and let the train carry him to Hogwarts. Now all he had to do was manipulate James into letting Peter be an _actual_ part of the Mauraders and Severus into being less of a greasy bat. Shouldn't be too hard, since they're all eleven. And he had successfully awed his little audience. He smirked as he watched his friends, and one time enemy, talk and play. It had been too long since these guys were happy. Heck, they all _died_ unhappy! And before their time! Thinking of their fate, Sirius felt his face twisting into a scowl and quickly excused himself. Exiting the compartment, Sirius hoped he could find someone he hadn't been close to. Someone who hadn't died horribly or suffered a fate worse than death. He chuckled sourly to himself. Yeah right. His entire generation had suffered, his year especially. Growling, he went to a random compartment and threw open the door.

"Sirius Black. Sorry, but I had to get away from my friends for a bit. Have you heard about the Potter boy? Yeah, he's a bit bonkers. Lupin isn't a ton better, and being in the same compartment as Severus Snape and Lily Evans doesn't exactly help. Mind if I crash your party?" he said rapidly. The fourth year Hufflepuffs blinked, but shifted over to let Sirius in. He smiled gratefully. "Thanks."

"Black, as in the pureblood family?" one of the girls asked. Sirius groaned and let his head fall back with a thump.

"Batty, the lot of them. And Bellatrix? Her mind is like a bag of cats. Wet cats. And don't get me started on the Malfoys. I find it a distinct displeasure to be related to those strutting, preening, upidy, peacocks. Did you know, after my hypogriff accident, the healers gave me a cane? A _cane!_ _Lucius Malfoy_ carries a cane. I'd rather be in agony for a month and come out with a terribly noticeable limp than use a _cane_. But no! 'Mummy' has to _make_ me use it. The horrid, Malfoy-ish monstrosity! Urgh. Please, do _not_ remind me of the utter mess I come from. The only family I like are the Potters, my Uncle Alphard, and my little brother Regulus. Even if Regulus gets Sorted into Slytherin, I'll still love him. I suppose my parents aren't _too_ horrid, but they expect far too... wait, no, not 'much' as such. Perhaps saying that they want me to be a little pureblood prince who blindly follows their orders and the orders of the bloody Dark Lord would be more accurate. Regulus... well, he may suffer a bit because of me and my 'rebellion' but I'll do my best by him. I _won't_ let him be manipulated and used. Oh. I'm sorry. You asked if I was a pureblood and I go off on a rant. Thanks for listening and all, guess I had more pent up frustration and stress than I thought if one little question could set me off like that. So, what are your names? I think it only fair you have a chance to rant at me after _that," _he said. The fourth years relaxed slightly, though they had been a bit surprised at the outburst. The group quickly began to chat amiably and before they knew it, Hogwarts loomed in the distance. Sirius smiled and relaxed slightly. He was home.

/*/

James looked at the shaggy head of Sirius Black. The boy was a strange one, no doubt about it. He was as brave and chivalrous as the best of Gryffindor, as loyal and fair as any Hufflepuff, and as cunning as a Slytherin. Oh James liked him well enough, but could he still be friends with the boy if he was sorted into Slytherin, as his family was wont to do? And if James himself was in Gryffindor, would Sirius even want to be his friend? As if feeling his stare, Sirius turned to him with a grin. "You may be an arrogant, reckless, goofy idiot, but I wouldn't trade your friendship for the world. Not even if I were a Slytherin and you were a Gryffindor. You're like a brother to me James, never forget that, okay?" James grinned back, relaxing into his usual devil-may-care posture and Sirius chuckled.

"And you may be a sneaky, conniving, devious genius, but you're my friend. Plus I'd never come up with half the pranks you do. I pity the poor fool who wrongs you. He might just wake up a girl," James countered. Sirius' laughter made everyone turn. He put an arm around James' shoulders.

"Alright, what do you say we make a pact? No matter what House we get Sorted into, we'll be brothers at best and allies at worst?" he suggested. Remus came and looped his arms around as well while James pulled Peter into the little huddle. Sirius got a twinkle in his eye and said, "We need a name. What do you say to the Marauders?"

"Perfect!" James said, the same twinkle entering his eyes. Remus and Peter nodded and Sirius began the oath.

"I, Sirius Orion Black, do hereby swear, upon my Marauder's Honor and my own magic, that no matter what House I and my fellow Marauders are Sorted into I will be brothers at best and allies at worst with my fellow Marauders, James Charlus Potter, Remus John Lupin, and Peter Henry Pettigrew."

"I, James Charlus Potter, do hereby swear, upon my Marauder's Honor and my own magic, that no matter what House I and my fellow Marauders are Sorted into I will be brothers at best and allies at worst with my fellow Marauders, Sirius Orion Black, Remus John Lupin, and Peter Henry Pettigrew."

"I, Remus John Lupin, do hereby swear, upon my Marauder's Honor and my own magic, that no matter what House I and my fellow Marauders are Sorted into I will be brothers at best and allies at worst with my fellow Marauders, Sirius Orion Black, James Charlus Potter, and Peter Henry Pettigrew."

"I, Peter Henry Pettigrew, do hereby swear, upon my Marauder's Honor and my own magic, that no matter what House I and my fellow Marauders are Sorted into I will be brothers at best and allies at worst with my fellow Marauders, Sirius Orion Black, James Charlus Potter, and Remus John Lupin." Sirius grinned a decidedly canine grin as Peter finished the oath.

"Well now, I think we've just formed a club that none of us can escape. At least while we're at school. Now, I do believe Professor McGonagal is here to take us to the Sorting. Come on!" Sirius said, bounding after the stern witch like an over grown puppy. James shook his head.

"What have I gotten myself into?" he asked softly as he entered the Great Hall. Sirius heard and laughed quietly.

"A bunch of oddballs, a load of pranks, and a whole lot of magic... and trouble," he said lightly, a knowing twinkle in his slate gray eyes. James shook his head, but smiled along with the wild youth. Yeah, he could be friends with Sirius, and if Sirius wanted Remus and Peter in their circle of friends, then James would welcome them as well. As it turned out, James went to Gryffindor, Remus went to Ravenclaw, Peter went to Hufflepuff, and Sirius went to Slytherin. They looked at each other over the tables, then grinned. This was going to be fun.

/*/

Albus Dumbledore was not one to be fearful, but when he saw four of his new students, each from a different house, catch each others' eyes and _grin_... he felt a premonition of doom. It wasn't the kind of premonition of doom like you would feel before the Dark Lord burst into your home, but it was no less terrifying. It was the premonition of doom a mother gets when her child, and three of his friends, are silent. He wasn't wrong. The next day, classes had hardly begun before there was a bellow of, "JAMES POTTER!" Those who had known the boy previously, like Sinastra Jones, sighed and shook their heads while others, like Frank Longbottom, grinned and wondered what grand plot the Potter Heir had pulled off this time. Heads poked out of classrooms to see a wildly grinning boy with equally wild black hair dashing and skidding down the hall, robes billowing out behind him while he was trailed by another black haired boy who moved slower, as with a limp, who had a look on his face to match his friend. A lanky sandy haired boy and a short mousy looking boy followed looking just as frightened as they were exhilarated. Thus were the Marauders introduced to the History of Hogwarts on their first day with their first detention. They grinned all through it. They let a few days go by, then the staff table let out startled gasps as their hair turned neon purple at dinner. James was rooted out as the culprit because he couldn't keep that glimmer all good teachers can identify as pride at the completion of a prank in the perpetrator's eyes. Peter had felt guilty, so the pride wasn't in his eyes, though he couldn't help laughing with the rest of his House while Remus was coolly glaring at those laughing, though they could see the twinkle in his eyes that would have condemned him alongside James. Sirius, for his part, had laughed once then smothered his mirth like a good little Slytherin and kept his mirth to a contained smile and a twinkle, a twinkle anyone who is genuinely amused would have. The teachers were not as amused as their charges. The next one was a a whole bag of dungbombs being set off in the third floor corridor that had a trap door(Sirius recognized it as the hall where Harry would later find Fluffy. He told himself using that corridor in a prank was just what he needed to give it a positive shine in his mind. It didn't work quite like he wanted). After that, several students, from each House, woke up with pink, purple, blue, or green hair. Each color was of a neon hue. Of course, the Marauders were victims as well. It wouldn't do for them to be ratted out by the suspicious lack of hair dye and too much laughter. It had been agreed on that they would prank each other, though none of them were too sure how James had gotten Sirius' shampoo or how James' conditioner wound up in Peter's hands, since the Gryffindor and Slytherin dorms had actual passwords while the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw dorms were guarded by rhythm and riddle respectively. Sirius was rather impressed that little Hufflepuff Peter had managed to sneak into the Gryffindor common room, up the stairs, into the bathroom, and find James' conditioner, though he wasn't as impressed by James. If it hadn't been for his overwhelming _Gryffindorness,_ James would have been a great Slytherin. He had an uncanny ability to guess the password. By the fifth week of term, the Slytherins had accepted that James was going to be guessing their password to see Sirius and had even seemed to deem him an honorary Slytherin because of his ability to guess the password. After Sirius had sworn that he wasn't giving the messy haired wizard the password because they were friends of course. James made him guess, so why shouldn't James? Though, Sirius had an unfair advantage. He had heard all the passwords for the next seven years once already. All he had to do was run through them until the portrait swung open. Of course, he didn't tell this to his friends. It would arouse too much suspicion, something he wasn't too keen on doing. He knew they wouldn't be doing anything spectacular for a few years - they had barely learned anything yet! - and yet, he was frustrated at not being able to express his 'genius' when it came to magical pranks. Then he was hit by a massive brain wave. He could expand his knowledge of muggle pranks! Chuckling evilly to himself in a dark corner of the Slytherin common room, Sirius Orion Black began concocting what would be the beginning of the greatest slew of non-magical pranks Hogwarts had ever seen or likely ever would. His Housemates gave him a wide berth, knowing that such mad laughter from a Black could not mean anything remotely resembling a 'good thing' and with this particular Black interrupting would likely carry unpleasant consequences. Consequences such as rather creative hexes that only Sirius knew the counter-curse to on sight or spiders in your bed and rather embarrassing dye in your soap. Yes, soap. Not shampoo, not conditioner, soap. Meaning everyone would know where you scrubbed, along with dying your very skin. Really, Sirius Black was a devious and vindictive little Snake when he had a reason, however petty it was. When Sirius passed Peter, Remus, and James identical notes before sitting down to breakfast, Dumbledore had the same feeling of impending doom as he watched them grin, their eyes flashing, before each casting an impressed look at the shaggy haired young wizard. Oh yes, those boys were up to no good. And worse. Dumbledore didn't think there was any way to stop it. Too bad he was right.

/*/

It was the first class after lunch when the carefully laid plans of the Marauders, who had been suspiciously missing during lunch, were revealed and their 'traps' sprung. In five different corridors, dye filled water balloons fell on five different, unsuspecting first years, who were unfortunately lost at the time. Sirius felt a little guilty about it, knowing how the teachers reacted, but he quickly shoved it to the back of his mind as the rest of his muggle pranks were triggered... the muggle pranks for that day anyway. He had many, many more up his sleeve. Water balloons, whipped cream in the hand, more shower related pranks than you could count(Sirius found more of those than any other), mixed up food and drink, and far too many trick pens soon followed as Padfoot built the Marauders' reputation almost by himself. Students, teachers, caretakers, and even a few Centaurs were targeted, though they had spent a week in the Hospital Week for those. Centaurs did not appreciate the fine products of Zonkos Joke Shop being used against them. Or being green. Yes, it was decreed to all who would listen to the miserable Sirius that Centaurs should never, under any circumstance, be dyed green _or_ exposed to Zonkos produces of any nature. One had only to look at Sirius' medical records to agree it was a decidedly bad idea. Still, it didn't stop the pranks, and it was causing quite a bit of frustration among the staff.

/*/

Minerva McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor House, was at her wits end, as were her fellow Heads of House. "I don't know what to do with the Potter boy. Thirty detentions in under two months! A record if ever I saw one. And his friends don't help much. They follow along with grins as big as the Black Lake!" she groused at a staff meeting. Horace Slughorn, Head of Slytherin House, sighed.

"I know what you mean. Sirius wouldn't have as many detentions, seeing as he never gets caught, but he always confesses to the pranks and takes his punishment with the others. I'd think of him as a rather responsible young man, if it weren't for the fact that he willingly admits to being a key player in those ridiculous pranks his friends pull," he said. The Head of Ravenclaw nodded.

"Lupin is a gentle boy, and rather studious, but he has the same fault as Black. I wonder what we could do..."

"Peter Pettigrew tells me that Sirius and Remus hold James back a lot of times, and bully him into doing his work. Perhaps the best thing to do would be to let things play out and see if they grow out of this. If they don't, perhaps they can at least learn to go a few days without pranking someone or mouthing off. And if what Peter tells me is true, keeping Remus and Sirius together with James might just make the young Potter Heir a bit easier to be around later on in life, and give Remus some joy. He is such a painfully withdrawn boy," the Hufflepuff Head of House said. The others all nodded. They had seen how the four boys got along together, and how they seemed to play of one another.

"Okay, so, what have we decided about these pranksters?" asked one of the other teachers. The Heads sighed.

"To do nothing but offer minimal guidance and hope they resolve themselves. Really, there's nothing else we can do," they answered. When the Marauders found out the verdict, it was from a grinning James while they were sitting under their favorite tree by the Black Lake. Peter whimpered slightly and Remus smirked. Sirius, for his part, looked vaguely disturbed, even if he was a bit smug.

"Told you this would be the greatest thing ever!" crowed James when he had finished relaying the news. Sirius rolled his eyes and, in a rare show of maturity, said,

"Don't lie, James, it's unbecoming." James gave his friend a hard look.

"And there it is," Remus said, shaking his head, though a wry smile did make an appearance. Sirius gave him a questioning look. "The Black Heir, the Slytherin, the Sirius that _is_ serious, the rational one, the calm one, the one who holds us all together and makes sure we don't do something unspeakably stupid," the threadbare youth expounded in response to the look. Sirius' eyebrow rose higher.

"Wow. I never would have guessed that was how you saw me. I'm flattered, Moony, but really, it doesn't suit me to be called ' the rational one, the calm one, and the one who holds us all together and makes sure we don't do something unspeakably stupid.' That's your job mate," he said, flopping down on the grass and relaxing in the sun. Remus shook his head.

"No, Sirius. When you put your mind to it, you fill that role much better. And since when did you call me Moony? And why?" Sirius hissed to himself. How could he have been so careless? He sighed and grabbed the boy by the arm, dragging him to a corner before setting up privacy wards.

"Yes, I put up privacy wards; no, my parents didn't teach me; and no, I will not tell you how I know how to do so. Now, the answer to your question comes with a very dangerous admission on my part. I know what your 'condition' is. No, I do not fear you; no, I will not abandon you; and don't you dare try to push me away now Moony or I will hex you into the Next Life. Now, I call you 'Moony' because of your condition. And yes, I have been told I have horrible naming sense, but I don't really care. Maybe, in the years to come, I'll tell you how I know so much but for now, Remus, my friend, don't ask too many questions. Please. I... just can't tell you what you want to know," Sirius said quickly, hoping his naturally cautious and yet curious friend wouldn't pry. His silent pleadings, and his puppy eyes, were rewarded when Remus shook his head.

"Fine. But no more surprises until you're ready to spill," the young and only minimally scarred werewolf said, shaking his head even then. Sirius grinned his signature canine grin before taking down the wards.

"I thought you'd like the nick-name!" the Black Heir said, overly cheerful and loud. Remus rolled his eyes just a little more theatrically than needed. The young werewolf absently wondered if Sirius was being a bad influence on him. He had never been one for theatrics before.

"Honestly, how could you think 'Moony' was such a good idea? I don't know if I'll ever know how your mind works, not the slightest bit," he said. Sirius simply grinned, pleased that the brightest wizard of their year, possibly even age seeing as Dumbledore could be argued to belong to the past, what with his age, had decided not to pester him about his knowledge. James shook his head, but Peter, surprisingly, gave Sirius a serious look. Black, for his part, snickered at the joke he had just made in his head. Only he could give someone a Sirius look. If anyone had been able to hear his thoughts, they would have labeled him mad for how hard he laughed at the rather poor joke. "So... what's James and Peter's nick-names?" Remus asked, curious as to what Sirius would say. He half expected 'Jamesie Boy and Wall Flower.' What he got was,

"'Captain Crazy' for James and 'Lackey' for Peter." Remus blinked.

"Huh?" came the intelligent replies from the other Marauders. Sirius gave them a decidedly canine grin.

"James is rather impulsive and a lot of his ideas are crazy, plus he likes to be the leader, this makes him the captain. Thus you get Captain Crazy. As for Peter, he just follows us around most of the time and goes along with what we want, making him almost a textbook lackey. Though," here Sirius paused and pretended to be thinking, "those names could change... if their owners did something to prove them unfitting." James looked skeptical and Remus really hoped he _didn't_ like Sirius' nickname for him. It would be rather hard to deal with the boy if he liked being called Captain Crazy. Peter looked indignant, like he was going to change his nickname right away. Both Remus and Sirius were pleased by this, though for very different reasons. Sirius wanted Peter to become a stronger person as a whole, though focusing on morals and loyalty, and Remus wanted Peter to come out of his shell and contribute more. Time would tell if either got what they were looking for.

/?/

A/N: Well, there you have it. The beginning of Sirius second First Year. I do hope you don't mind the placements and enjoyed the way I did the sorting. Yes, I skipped over quite a bit, and will be doing that with irritating regularity, but if there are any holes you want filled, just look for prank related fics. There are a lot. Besides, the interesting stuff really beings in third year. Anywho, let me know what you think!

Proverbs 4: 14-15

"Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn form it and go your own way."


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer/welcome: Congratulations on making it this far! I'm pretty sure we lost quite a few people after the first chapter so having you still reading this is pretty exciting for me. I'd give you a cookie, but I don't bake, so take a bag of popcorn and enjoy the chapter. Oh and, I only own the plot... and possibly Arnold...

**Chapter 4:** Welcome, Severus, to Friendship

The day after Sirius' near brush with exposure, Regulus sent Sirius a letter, which he received at breakfast. Sirius took great pride and joy in opening the rather thick letter and declaring it was from his little brother. As he read, his face began to glow and his smile looked like it was trying to out do the sun for brilliance. Regulus was unhappy to be stuck home and was thrilled with the tales of Hogwarts Sirius was sending him and practically begged Sirius to send him more news. He missed his big brother ("The best in the world!" the letter proclaimed) something awful and couldn't wait for the Christmas holidays so he could see Siri again. The younger Black told of his private lessons and how they feel so much duller than what was offered at Hogwarts, but he told of his progress with the unbridled enthusiasm of the young. Sirius, now that he had made peace with his parents and knew what his brother would face, had grown to love his brother dearly and for once was looking forward to the holidays just as much as his currently excitable little brother, and he told all who would listen as much. He got a couple of glares for it, mostly from the other Slytherins for being so free with information and his emotions and the staff table, but he didn't care. He was happy to finally have a proper family to return to, even if his mother was just as Dark as he remembered from his first life. Knowing his father shared, deep down, his own quirky sense of humor really helped, as did the fact that Regulus had expressed his approval of James when they met. Honestly, it was a surprise to both James and Sirius himself that the younger Black _had_ accepted the Potter Heir, seeing as James was even more reckless and foolhardy than Sirius was currently, not to mention downright arrogant, not matter what he might say. Severus Snape, who had become a grudging friend to the young Black, gave him a dark look as he entered the Entrance Hall. "Did you _have_ to gush over your _precious_ little brother's letter like that, Black?" he asked, a faint sneer curling his lips. Sirius sighed.

"Yes, oh Dark One of the Potions Lab, I did," he said, thinking, '_I don't remember you starting to perfect your Bat of the Dungeons persona so early Sev. What gives?_' though he would never say it out loud. Too many questions. Severus glared at him for the Name, then huffed slightly before pulling ahead of the limping boy-man. Sirius shook his head. "Do you have a brother, Severus?" he asked, having not really paid attention to the upper years. Severus stopped before turning on the other boy sharply, a look like thunder in his eyes.

"Yes, I do. And if you didn't have your head stuck in the clouds like a ruddy Gryffindor and actually _paid attention_ in the common room you would have noticed him _avoiding_ me. Honestly, the family resemblance is glaring. Anyone with a pair of eyes should be able to notice," the only slightly greasy Slytherin ranted. Sirius sighed and ran his good hand through his hair.

"Look, Sev, I'm sorry about your family alright? Just... " he sighed again and dropped his hand, along with his head and eyelids, before saying, "don't take it out on my family, alright? In fact, I'll even share Regulus with you. I'm pretty sure he'll be sorted into Slytherin with us, and even if he isn't it'll likely be Ravenclaw. He's two years younger than me, so we'll be third years by the time he gets here, but I'll invite you over. Just tell... him... that you're going over to a well-to-do pureblood's house for some tutoring in wizarding customs and possibly some combat spells and I'm pretty sure he'll let you. It's true, for the most part, so you shouldn't feel guilty about lying either. And if you give him a chance to get past the preening stage of the conversation, James is great company. Remus is quite and likes books, but he's devilishly clever and might be willing to play a game of chess. Peter... well, he's a bit of a clinger-on at first, but I think hanging around James is starting to rub some Gryffindor spirit off on him, and Remus makes him study like there's no tomorrow, and I make sure he knows James only means half the insults he throws around while encouraging him to use his brain for something other than classwork... or pranks. Not too original, Peter, but if you can ask the right questions... The point is, once you get past the 'outer crust' of their personalities, the Marauders are great people to have as friends. And I think you'd be good for Pete, just so long as you don't wax lyrical on the evils of the Drunken Muggle Male," Sirius said, words spewing out as if a dam had been shattered. Severus was reeling, a fact Sirius noted. He gave the potions genius a sheepish grin before bowing his head and rushing off to his next class. Of course, Severus would have to follow, but he could do it at a slower pace and work through that over flow of information. Sirius hoped he had made an impression, but when it came to Severus Tobias Prince-Snape, he couldn't read a thing from his face. He was no mind-reader. Not like Future Snape or Dumbledore, of any time. It wasn't until Sirius sat down to do his homework in the common room that night that Severus came to him. The pale boy had a look of steely determination about him and he sat heavily beside the Black Heir.

"Thank you," he said shortly. Sirius paused in his work and turned to give the other Slytherin a coolly quizzical look, one elegant eyebrow raised. "For offering to... accept me into your circle of friends... and your home," Severus went on, looking as though it were hard for him to say the words. Noticing, Sirius pushed his homework aside, it wasn't like he hadn't done it before, and turned to give Severus his undivided attention. Seeing this, Severus huffed. "What? I've said my piece!" he said testily. Sirius grinned.

"Well... I figured one good turn deserves another," he said. He could see Severus working it out in his head and knew the moment he came to the realization of what Sirius was doing. "Oh come on, I _am_ a Slytherin here, though I'm not exactly the ideal little Snake. And really, what I'm asking is simply for you to accept me into _your_ circle of friends. Surely there are those who would like Defense tutoring from a Black or the opportunity to have a look at some Ravenclaw notes... both services I can provide, as long as those asking are first years. And how could one forget the pranking genius of the Marauders? Need a bit of petty revenge taken care of? I have a book on the subtle, and not so subtle, art of pranking that is highly useful in such situations. It's a win win, is it not?" Severus sighed.

"Lily Evans is my only friend," he said. Sirius frowned.

"Not by lack of trying I'm sure," he said. Severus shook his head.

"Arnold." Sirius did a rather impressive impersonation of a rather irate McGonagal.

"The Snake! Where is he? I'd like to have a few words with Dear Old Arnold," he hissed. Severus looked taken aback.

"Black! What are you thinking!" he hissed, looking around the common room and hoping none of his brother's crew had heard. Sirius turned flashing eyes of stormy gray on him.

"What am I thinking? I'm thinking my Gryffindor side wants to come out and play, and my Slytherin side is egging him on," he said, voice like thunder. Severus sighed and gave a pointed look to a group by the fire. Sirius look a good look at the group and picked out a young man that looked remarkably like an older Severus. His lips twisted into a sneer and he stalked over, turned him around with his good hand, and then socked him in the jaw with his bad hand before snarling, "What the Bleeding Banshees were you thinking, keeping friends from Severus?" Arnold sneered right back.

"He's a wimp who loves potions, which is just like cooking, which is a woman's job. I won't have my brother acting like a woman. Kid needs to man up," he said haughtily. It was one of the worse things he could have said, and he found out rather quick. Sirius' lips curled back in a feral snarl, his eyes literally began to spark from the magic building within him, and he slowly drew his wand.

"_Never_ insult a _brother_ in. Front. Of. _ME!_" he roared before hitting him with an itching hex. Severus was amazed.

"Where did you learn that?" he asked, watching his brother scratch at himself. Sirius let out a huff and muttered the counter-curse. As the time-traveler brushed past him, Severus could see that he looked like he was mad at himself. Severus wasn't about to let this go, so he followed the other wizard up to their dormitory. "Sirius Black tell me..." his words were cut off abruptly when the subject of his ire turned to him rapidly, eyes so dead and tortured he thought he was looking at the only survivor of an ambush boring into the budding potions genius.

"What could you possibly demand of me, Severus?" Sirius asked, his voice hollow. The pale wizard sank back, hoping to get away from the seething gaze of the Black Heir. "I _hexed_ your brother. Your _brother_, Severus. And not only that, but I did it in the _common room_. The hex I used is far more advanced than what we're being taught, I shouldn't even be able to cast it and yet I am. And whats worse, I _enjoyed_ watching him writhe on the floor, scratching himself in a vain attempt to rid himself of the intense feeling of hot needles under his skin. Do you know the agony an itching hex can bring? I do, and let me tell you, it is not nice by any stretch of the imagination. I _enjoyed_ it, Severus. The thought that I _could_ enjoy something like that... it makes me sick," he ranted. Severus weathered it, though he couldn't for the life of him tell anyone how. It was then that he decided he didn't care what anyone thought, he was going to stand by Sirius, because there was no way he was getting on his bad side. Sirius was the kind of person, even then, that is terrifying to have as an enemy and one of the best friends you could ever ask for.

/*/

"You _WHAT?!_" James roared when Sirius told him about Severus. Sirius sighed and leaned against the pillar by the table the Marauders had chosen and waited for his friend to rant himself dry. "You invited a Snake? You... you want him to join us? Are you serious? DON'T ANSWER THAT!" James sudden cut himself off, seeing the glimmer of amusement in the Black's eyes and the twitch of his lips. "The _point_ is... you welcomed _Snivillus_ into our circle. And I want to know _why_," James ended. Sirius sighed.

"His name is Severus, though I'm thinking of just calling him 'Sev.' And aren't I a Snake, as you put it? Think, for a moment, Jamesie. I'm hanging out with lions and eagles and badgers, all of which easily kill snakes. Now, if all Gryffindors were as bullheaded and reckless as you, they would be called the Stubborn Idiot House. Should it be found that all Ravenclaws were like Remus they would be called the Research and Teaching House. Hufflepuffs would all be cowards until pushed into a corner and brilliant at hexes if they followed Peter's mold. And Slytherins would all be..."

"Excellent at offensive spells and misdirection if we were all like Black," Severus said as he slid out from behind Sirius' pillar.

"Sev! How wonderful of you, Slytherin house's _little potion master_, to join this rabble! Pull up a chair and help me talk some sense into these wayward wizards," Sirius said cheerfully, hopping to get the dark boy a chair. James glared, but couldn't speak out against his friend. As Severus brushed past Sirius to sit, the Black whispered, "Thanks for the save there mate. I don't know how much longer I could have lasted before I hexed Potter." Severus chuckled faintly, but said nothing as he sank into his chair.

"Oh yes, hello! Pull up a chair! It's not like we weren't just talking about _how you shouldn't be here!_" James said, sulking. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Jamesie~! Come on now, can't you at least _try_ to play nice? You'll never get a girlfriend if you keep on like _that_," he said, mixing a whining tone with a patronizing one. Severus was actually a little impressed that the young Black was able to mix them together. James simply frowned at the Slytherin.

"Come on Sirius, you must know how James is. He just can't seem to accept when he is wrong," Remus said, a wry smile dancing on his lips. Sirius grinned.

"You almost made a joke! I do declare my hard work is paying off!" he said, eyes dancing. Severus shook his head and looked to Peter.

"Are they always like this?" he asked, jerking his head toward the pouting James and the triumphant Sirius, knowing at least one of them were the kind of people who ignore anything and everything when having an argument or contest of wits. Peter let out a much put upon sigh and nodded, also knowing that his friends had a tenancy to focus on arguments, battles of wits, and contests of wills. Actually, in that manner, Gryffindors _were_ all the same. Huh, fancy that. Though, Peter had a feeling Remus was slightly less likely to do so, and that most of the Marauders, barring he himself, would make excellent duelists once they grew up a bit.

"Pretty much. Though, you'd know how Sirius behaves a bit better than the rest of us, you being in his House and all," the Huffelpuff answered in a rather stereotypical Slytherin manner. Perhaps the four friends each had a part of all the four houses and they were just Sorted into the House whose traits were strongest? It would make a certain amount of sense, since they each seemed to channel at least one other House every day. Severus shook his head. He'd never understand how these so-called Marauders thought. Never. Still. That wouldn't stop him from trying to figure out _some_ of their thought processes.

"From what I've heard, you and Potter actually know him best, since you are his childhood friends," Remus said, drawing the other boy back to reality. Sirius was nodding mock-gravely behind the mousey haired wizard, James struggling almost comically against the head lock the Black Heir had him in.

"It's true. And had I had my way, I would have known Remus in the same manner. I'm just glad I got to meet him at all," Sirius said, James still sputtering and straining to get out of Sirius' death grip. Sirius didn't seem to notice. Remus sighed, partly in exasperation at his friends and partly because of what Sirius had received that he hadn't.

"At least you _had_ friends," he said sadly. Sirius frowned and James stilled, though that might have been because he realized that Sirius had placed a sticking charm on his neck, as well as his own hand, before grabbing him and was now trying to remember the counter spell to get the pesky Black off him. Remus, Peter, and Severus didn't really care. Nor did they really notice.

"Hey, don't let it get you down. You can come stay at my place for Christmas! It would make it convenient for us to get your presents to you, since my family is a rather well respected family, even if it isn't strictly 'pure.' What do you say?" James chirped at his friend, having decided that what Remus had as good as moaned was more important than getting the insufferable wizard known as Sirius, which was a rather ironic naming choice, off of his neck. Sirius did a comedic fall out of his chair, clearly staged, before pulling himself up enough to look over the table top.

"Jamesie Boy! Warn me before you do that Bi-Polar thing! You're going to give me mental whiplash, not to mention yourself," the mischievous Slytherin said dramatically. Severus shook his head again. That was when the rest of the group noticed that Sirius had somehow released James and sat back down without even James noticing. Though, they all agreed, silently and at the same moment, to let that one impossibility slid for the moment. It was only one of many after all.

"Black, I will never understand you," Severus said, sounding rather put upon and speaking for the other three as well, on some level any way. James grinned, Remus sighed, and Peter smirked knowingly.

"No-one ever will," they said together, speaking for Severus as well, though the budding potions genius shook his head ruefully. Sirius laughed, enjoying the chaos his mere existence seemed to bring.

"No-one but me! And that's just the way I like it," he said. Ah yes, the Black Heir thought as he took in the resigned expressions on the faces of his friends, it was good to be Sirius Orion Black. Severus sighed and rose from his chair.

"I have a potion I want to try out. It was a mistake to come here..." he said, only to be pushed back into his chair by a scowling Sirius. '_Okay, so maybe it isn't all sunshine and roses. But it's still a pretty good life and I will not be the reason it derails. _Again._'_

"I won't have the _one person_ I _invited_ being chased away by my _best mate_! Now you just sit yourself down and let _me_ take care of Mr. Party Pooper over there," the not-quite-Slytherin said, smirking faintly. Severus had nothing to say to that, and so had no other choice than to sit there and listen to the tirade Sirius unleashed against Potter. "James Charlus Potter, you know that I don't care for prejudice... though Malfoys might be an exception. Honestly, every Malfoy I've ever had the misfortune of meeting has been, for lack of a better word, a prat. But Malfoys aside, prejudice is just plain stupid. What if you had been prejudiced against pure-bloods? Or Muggle-raised? Or orphans? Or... hippogriffs? Or half-giants? Or full-blooded giants? AND ANOTHER THING! Do you honestly think me such a bad judge of character? Honestly, you had no problem when I dragged Peter over to see you, nor did you bat an eyelash when I invited Remus into our group. Sure Sevvy might have insulted you at first Jamesie, but you _can_ be a bit arrogant sometimes James. I'm sorry but it's the truth. Oh, and what about Lily? She's a Muggleborn and most wizards consider Muggleborns under them. Would you bully an innocent, and rather cute if I do say so myself, girl like her just because of who her parents were? And if you wouldn't shun Lily for her heritage, why should you shun Severus for his House? What has he _really_ done to you aside from calling you out on your arrogance issue? And, to be perfectly transparent, I'd do the same thing. One last thing, if you want to _ever_ see me outside of class or pranking you're going to have to work on your attitude buster. I'd hate to have to bail your sorry butt out of Azkaban for something recklessly stupid like being biased and bigoted toward a Goblin Ambassador or racist toward the Minister. Now, apologize to Severus and lets work on our homework now so we can prank later. Sevvy here might need to lighten up, but _you_, James Charlus Potter, need to _sober_ up." The Black Heir paused for a moment, a pensive look on his often grinning and carefree face. "If a clone was made using Severus and James' DNA, what would it's personality be like? I'd imagine it would have the cutting wit, tanning sarcasm, blistering talent in potions, and serious stoicism of Severus and the goofy, happy-go-lucky, lets-go-prank-a-teacher, Transfiguration, and flying talent of James," he shook his head. "Truly a dangerous and terrifying thought that. Let us hope and pray such a clone is never made," he finished, bowing his head slightly. Peter and Remus had paled at the thought of a James/Severus clone and nodded fervently at Sirius' 'prayer.' Severus simply shook his head while James was trying to get his (currently)thick head around what Sirius had just blasted him with. James was quite and subdued for weeks afterward and all the teachers were beyond pleased, but never asked what had happened. Sirius, several years later and with a rather pleased smirk, granted the staff a copy of his memory of that day. Unfortunately, it was too late for the staff to be able to use the knowledge on the Marauders by the time they got the memory, but future troublemakers were often given similar treatment. Severus Snape, when he joined the staff a few years after the memory was given, was the best at Hogwarts. Then again, most of the older staff mused, he _was_ friends with the undisputed 'Master of the Art of Talking Arrogant Ponces into Obedience.' He obviously learned by association. Didn't stop him from being the best though, and he was often called on to 'chat' with the more troublesome students. Said students often left crying. They then avoided him like the plague and tried harder not to get caught or avoided him like the plague and straightened out. Though the staff, quite honestly, didn't care if the students didn't like Severus. He was too good at talking troublemakers down for them to care. That some just tried to be sneakier didn't bother them. The biggest pranks were always the easiest to be caught red-handed in anyway.

/*/

After James finally snapped out of his 'thinking haze,' as Sirius jokingly called it, he was at the very least civil to Severus. Sirius and Lily were glad for this, and the time-traveling Slytherdor, as Sirius called himself, soon pulled her into their circle of misfit friends. Though, when Sirius used his House nickname around Lily the first time, it sparked a rather interesting conversation. "Why do you call yourself that?" Lily Evans had asked, a few hours into her first 'Marauders' Meeting.' Sirius had just called himself a 'Slytherdor' and the young Gryffindor was confused. Sirius had then grinned and explained his reasoning behind the self-given name,

"Honestly, I'm too much of a Gryffindor to be solely a Slytherin, and the Hat had trouble Sorting me as it was stalled between the two for a moment. Therefore, I am a House unto my self and I have dubbed it 'Slytherdor' because I am a Slytherin with strong Gryffindor tendencies. Plus 'Gryfferin' or 'Gryffinerin' were just plain wrong and 'GryffSlyth' is even more wrong." Remus had lifted an eyebrow elegantly, though how he managed that is a mystery to everyone who has not mastered the art of everyday elegance.

"... And 'Slytherdor' isn't?" Sirius had given the Ravenclaw a glare fit to peel paint, though Remus had remained unruffled.

"SHUT UP MOONY!" Sirius had finally howled, chucking a quill at him. The Ravenclaw had dodged fluidly and smiled back at Sirius, infuriating the unusually hotheaded Slytherin even more.

"Are they always like this?" Lily had then asked James, Severus, and Peter, though it could be argued that she only asked Severus and Peter since James was too busy laughing at his two friends like a lunatic.

"As far as Black is concerned, yes," Severus had replied in a measured and even tone, though anyone listening could tell he was amused.

"When Sirius is in a playful mood, which is pretty much all the time unless he's plotting... Yeah, they're always like this," Peter had answered, slightly apologetic. Lily decided she liked the quiet boy. He might not have been as powerful as his friends, and he might not be as handsome, but she could tell he had a good, if weak, heart.

"Thanks," Lily had began, only for Sirius to cut her off.

"PETE! I DO NOT PLOT!" he had shouted rather indignantly. Severus had shook his head, grudgingly amused by Sirius' antics.

"Of course not." Sirius had looked smug. "You scheme," the other Slytherin had smirked, even more smug than Sirius had been when he had seemingly supported him. Sirius had then looked at him in slack jawed awe.

"You... you... you made a joke! It wasn't the best, but you made a joke!" he had crowed. Severus had looked faintly insulted, as well as faintly bemused, though most people would say he simply looked indifferent. Lily had shook her head.

"How did you ever get into Slytherin?" she asked, looking at the Black Heir in puzzlement. Sirius had frozen at that, the puckish joy leaving his face to reveal the cold, calculating, survivor.

"That... is for me to know, and you to find out... I hope," he had said, his voice soft and mournful, as though the reason he had been Sorted the way he had was due to some great tragedy he hoped and prayed the red haired witch before him would survive, like it was in the future or something. Lily was confused, and everyone who heard was curious, after that but Remus seemed to know that the strange wizard didn't want anyone prying. He had given him a sorrowful look, then said,

"Come on guys, you know how cunning Sirius is. If he didn't prank others, he'd probably go insane from all the plots running through his head. And have you seen how ambitious those pranks are? He is most defiantly a Slytherin," the werewolf had said, covering for his friend. Sirius remembered smiling at him from behind Severus and receiving a small nod from the 'Claw. He knew Sirius would tell when the time was right and not before.

/*/

The Christmas holidays rolled around, and Sirius took Severus home while James invited a reluctant Remus and an awed Peter to visit. Sirius was rather pleased with his successes. Remus was beginning to relax around around them, Peter was; ever so slowly, pulling away from hero-worship and drawing closer to actual friendship with the rest of the Marauders, and Severus was off to a better start. The slightly greasy Slytherin hadn't apologized to James yet, but he was acting less hostile. Sirius planned on making the Slytherin brewer shower every night at his house. He didn't know how his mother would respond to the blatant disregard for personal hygiene Severus currently displayed. Plans all laid, the friends all went to their respective vacation spots. When Sirius stepped onto the platform, he was tackled by his brother. "SIRI!" Regulus cried as he latched onto his big brother. A blinding grin broke out on Sirius' face, brighter than many Severus had seen.

"Reggie! Hey kiddo, I missed you!" the shaggy haired boy said, leaning slightly to the right and back so the weight of his brother didn't push him down onto the unforgiving ground. Seeming to notice the precarious balance his brother had, Regulus let go with a sheepish look.

"Sorry, Siri. I didn't mean to knock you off balance," he said softly, looking down at his feet. Sirius' face grew dark.

"What have I told you, Regulus?" he asked, his voice low and ominous. Regulus sighed, digging his toe into the ground. It was odd, Severus mused, to see Sirius being, well, serious.

"That it's okay to hug, tackle, squeak, cry, yell, scream, and otherwise abuse you with my shows of emotion," Regulus said. Sirius sighed, shaking his head.

"Not exactly. Regulus, what I meant was, don't be afraid to show me that you love me in whatever way you want to, don't be afraid to show sadness, and don't worry about hurting me or speaking your mind. You are a Black and a noble, I expect you to be strong like one. However," here Sirius' face softened from his strict glare into a fond smile and knelt painfully to his brother's level despite his protesting knee, "you are also my little brother. And being my little bro means getting into trouble, having fun, not caring what anyone thinks of you, protecting your friends with everything you have and more, and above all, it means thinking on your feet. It means being a Gryffindor with the mind of a Slytherin. I know our family doesn't much care for Gryffindors, but that is because of recent reputations that have been attached to the House. It used to be the House of the Brave and Courteous, now it's the House of Reckless and Boneheaded Idiots who go Looking for Trouble." Walburga and Orion couldn't help but chuckle slightly at Sirius' description of Gryffindor. It was, in fact, what they themselves thought. They just wouldn't voice it. Severus found his eyebrows moving steadily toward his hair line. And here he thought Sirius liked Gryffindor. Perhaps there was even more to the strange Black than Severus had suspected, and far far more than anyone could see. "Slytherin has the same sort of bad rep brought on by people like the Malfoys and What's-His-Face, the guy with the masked weirdos and the creepy snake that's going around killing people for disagreeing with him? Anyway, ever since him, and perhaps a bit before, Slytherin has been the House of Slimy and Corrupt Politicians and Mass Murders." For a moment, Sirius paused and mentally chuckled at the dark irony in those words. Wasn't he considered a mass murder in another life? And now he was in Slytherin, the one house in Hogwarts considered Dark and specially created for creeps like that. Ah, Fate, you do have a twisted and cruel sense of humor, don't you?

"Then... why did you make sure you were in Slytherin?" Regulus asked. His brother smiled wearily at him.

"Because they are also known for their cunning," he paused and let out a slow, deep breath, "and their ambition." Severus gave Sirius a curious look, but didn't voice his questions. The look on the other boy's face was enough to render him mute for a week.

/*/

"What did you mean with that last comment before we left the platform?" Regulus asked as soon as he, his brother, and Severus were safely in Sirius' room. Apparently, he hadn't been as affected by his brother's death glare as Severus. He would have been cowering in his room otherwise. The older Black brother quickly put up some privacy spells with an all to practiced ease.

"Just what was his childhood like?" Severus mused, unwittingly aloud. He was made aware of this minor slip up when Sirius chuckled.

"It wasn't my childhood that gave me a mastery of privacy wards. It was my adulthood," he said, rather cryptically.

"What?" asked Regulus. Sirius shook his head.

"I've already said too much. If I say anymore... who knows what will happen?" he said. Severus knew when he was beat, so he let it go. Regulus acted like he let it go, but he was really just biding his time. Sirius saw the gleam in his brother's eyes and while he groaned over the trouble Regulus might later cause, he couldn't help but be a little proud of his brother. The boy was already developing the cunning and individuality that might just save his life.

"Can we play exploding snap?" Regulus asked, surprising Severus. Sirius, for his part, raised a single eyebrow in a decidedly Black manner. Not even Lucius Malfoy could have found fault in the elegance of what should have been such a mundane action. "Since you've already put up the wards and all," the younger boy said, coloring slightly. Sirius grinned.

"I knew you had it in you, Reggie," he said, still smiling fondly at his little brother. Severus was beyond being surprised and allowed himself to be dragged into the Black brothers game. Then came dinner.

"So, Severus, who were your parents?" asked Walburga. Sirius stiffed slightly, a faint look of fear and anger darkening his look.

"Tobias and Eileen Snape," the young brewer answered softly, glaring at his mashed potatoes.

"I've never heard the name Snape before. Was your father Muggle-born?" asked Orion.

"No. Tobias is a full Muggle," Severus answered. That was when Sirius decided to jump in.

"His mother was born a Prince mother, father. Surely you've heard of them?" Walburga seemed mollified, though a bit disgusted at the thought of a daughter of such an old family marrying a _Muggle_. Orion nodded, ignoring his wife's rising ire.

"Ah yes, the Prince family. Good stock, though it is disgraceful that a daughter of such a noble family should be married to such filth..." Orion didn't get a chance to finish his sentence as Sirius slammed his hands down on the table as he rose to glare at his father.

"I will not have such slander be tossed around at the dinner table, father! Even if the object of your mudslinging deserves it, as is the case with Tobias," he said, venom dripping from his words.

"Sirius," Orion said, a warning note in his voice. Sirius' eyes flashed.

"No, father. This has been stewing in my brain for far too long. I shall have my say!" The older Black sighed and sat back, inviting his son to continue. "There are just as many wizards and witches deserving of such slurs as you direct to Muggles in general as there are Muggles who truly deserve to be called the lowest of cretins who aren't worthy of being given the time of day. Despite Tobias lending credence to your anti-muggle campaigning, Severus is the antithesis to your anti-muggle-born and anti-half-blood arguments. Severus is a true Slytherin, shows promise to become the greatest potions master Hogwarts has ever housed, is no slouch in his other classes, soaks up information like a sponge, and is one of the best friends I've ever made. And no, it's not just because he helps me with my potions homework. In fact, it's like evicting doxies getting him to help and even then he's condescending enough to make a Malfoy jealous. Merlin's beard, do you even know whose blood you are condemning to the sewers when you slander Muggles and their blood? Minerva McGonagall, Bowman Wright, Garrick Ollivander, Kendra Dumbledore, and Nobby Leach all have or had Muggle blood flowing in their _magical_ veins. Now I ask you, when presented with all this, can you truly say that old, pure-blood families are any better than new, half-blood or muggle-born families? Minerva McGonagall teaches me transfiguration for Merlin's sake!" Orion had grown more and more rigid as his son's tirade had increased in volume and torn many of his firmly held beliefs a new one in front of his wife, younger; and quite impressionable; son, and their guest. Regulus let out a low whistle.

"Wow Siri. I think you just out did great-aunt Cassiopeia with that verbal beat down," he said. Sirius huffed and stormed out of the dinning room, again in such a way he would have left the Lucius Malfoy of his first life unable to find fault in it.

"Well," his mother began, "it looks like he's learned his intimidation lessons well." Orion gave his wife a dry look.

"That was not what I was thinking, Walburga." Regulus chuckled and motioned with his head for Severus to follow him out. Once in the hallway, Regulus turned to the other boy.

"They're going to be going on like that for a while. Come on, let's find Siri and leave the grown-ups to hash things out." Severus couldn't help but agree.

/?/

A/N: So... Severus now has friends and Sirius has succeeded in mystifying just about everyone. Coming up... First Year Christmas in spring, Remus at the Potters, promises of prankgeddon, pranks, payback, and wizard chess. Interested? I sure hope so. Let me know what you thought of this chapter and I'll check back in... about an hour or so.

Proverbs 4:17

"[The wicked] eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:** The End of a Productive Year

James was nearly bouncing in giddiness. Remus was coming over! He didn't know the quite boy as well as he knew Sirius, and he was a very studious Ravenclaw, but this break was an opportunity to change that because Sirius and Peter wouldn't be there until Christmas. He hadn't been able to convince the Blacks or the Pettigrews to let his other friends come over any earlier. Add the fact that the Blacks had to ask the Snapes for permission to send their son to another home for the actual holiday and perhaps James could understand Sirius' plight. Still didn't make him any happier and it had nothing to do with Peter's family, but James was nothing if not adaptable. Hadn't he accepted that his best friend was a Slytherin? _'Slytherdor!'_ he heard Sirius' voice exclaim indignantly in his head. _'Ah, but you sleep with the Snakes, my dear Slyther_in_._'he thought back at the 'Sirius' in his head. That was when the fire flashed green and a rather ragged looking man with sharp eyes stepped out with an amazed looking Remus. "How long can he stay?" asked Dorea Potter nee Black, James' mother.

"All through Christmas if he wants. Honestly, I've never seen my son as happy as he was the day he came home. Raving about your son he was," the man said, flashing James a rather pointed look. Remus flushed and shook his head.

"I could never..."

"That sounds awesome! Can we mom?" James interrupted, ignoring the look the man had sent his way. Remus looked at him in shock and was about to continue what he was saying before when the fire flared green again and Sirius' face appeared.

"Oh Remus, you're already there?" he asked, though there was something in his voice that suggested that the Slytherin part of him was firmly in control and knew that Remus had been about to refuse James' offer.

"He can stay the whole holiday Siri!" James cheered, ignoring the part of his mind that was screaming _'scheming snake alert!' _knowing that Sirius would help him convince Remus. Sirius grinned.

"That's awesome! Hey Remus, come closer would you?" he said, a wicked gleam in his eye. Seeing the gleam, Remus sighed but moved closer. The pranking Gryffindor side of his friend was awake and ready to cause some mayhem. "Prank James into oblivion before I get there and I'll introduce you to my adorable little brother. I'm sure the two of you will get along swimmingly."

"How did I know that you were going to suggest pranking?" Remus sighed. His answer was a highly cheeky grin from the one and only Sirius Orion Black.

"Because it's me?" he said, then gave Remus a serious look, "and you should also know that if you so much as _think_ about leaving that house before school starts again I will find out and I _will_ prank your sorry arse into the next century." Remus swallowed heavily. That sounded more like a death threat than a prank warning. All the same, he nodded his understanding. Sirius' grin returned. "Wonderful! Now tell your lovely hostess and your father you wish to stay with the Potters until Hogwarts is back in session, Mr. Moony," he said in a sickly sweet tone. A tone that carried the promise of prankgeddon.

"I would like to stay with the Potters until Hogwarts is back in session," a pale Remus said once Sirius had ended his call at Remus' nod. James raised one eyebrow. "And no, you don't want to know," Remus added, seeing the look on his friend's face. James shrugged and dragged Remus up to his room. It was time to get to know the bookish boy a bit better.

/*/

Remus quirked an eyebrow from the doorway, three days after his arrival. "That's what you call 'studying?'" he asked, chuckling mentally when the boy on the floor, surrounded by modeling clay and muggle 'do-it-yourself' books for that looked suspiciously like pipe bombs, jumped slightly.

"Well... I _am_ studying!" James defended, though his cheeks did color slightly. His marks were the third lowest of the Marauders. Only Peter was below him. Then again, it wasn't hard to be above the mousy-haired boy. Though privately, Remus thought that if Peter simply applied himself, he'd be a rather powerful wizard.

"Yes. Pipe bombs, isn't it? Honestly, you're as bad as Sirius when it comes to chaos and mayhem. Come on, I think it's time you tried one of _my_ past-times," Remus replied. James raised a single eyebrow in question, though it lacked the elegance Sirius and Remus could put into the motion. "Chess," Remus answered the unspoken question with a smile. James returned the smile, glad it wasn't something dangerous. Who knows what the Prankster of Ravenclaw Tower could have come up with. Remus left to get his chess board, telling James to meet him in the family room. Five minutes later, and Remus was setting up the board while being observed by a rather intrigued James.

"I know you don't have brothers" the Potter Heir said, watching his new friend carefully, "and am curious. Who did you play against?" he finished.

"I played my father," Remus answered.

"I don't imagine he was always the best of company," James fished. Remus smiled wanly.

"I've had worse," he replied. James was now curious. No-one he had ever met had worse than an over worked father and a mother who didn't seem to always be there.

"How much worse?" he asked. Remus shook his head.

"You don't want to know," he answered, making his first move. James, having a then-rare moment of brilliance, dropped the subject and answered the Ravenclaw's move. The game lasted for about ten minutes and ended in Remus' victory. "Check mate," the brunette said with what could only be called glee as he placed his bishop before the raven haired boy's king, closing the net of 'deadly' pieces around the severely restricted king. James hung his head.

"You are a master of the art of chess," he said. Remus chuckled and reset the board.

"Care for a teaching game?" he asked, a new twinkle in his eye. A light that James suspected only came when the other was in the position to teach another. He smiled softly and sat up straight.

"Only if we can get some snacks and you promise not to tease me for any breakdowns I might have once you totally slaughter me," he answered. Remus laughed softly, though James couldn't help but feel the other boy's laugh had been getting louder and more robust over the school year.

"As you wish," Remus allowed. Two hours later the Potters found their son glaring at a chess board with a truly terrifying sneer on his face while his eyes burned with determination and his opponent, one Remus Lupin, sat back in his chair with an easy smile on his face. It was obvious who was winning, who was at ease, and who wasn't about to give up without a tooth and nail fight.

"Well, it looks like our guest has finally gotten our son to use his much neglected mind, Charlus," Dorea Potter said as she looked on. James didn't even blink while Remus turned his easy smile on his hosts.

"And he's been getting better." James snorted and sat back with a snarl.

"Doesn't stop him from beating the pants off me every game," he said, displeased with himself for getting beat. Remus looked a little sheepish.

"Well, there wasn't much else to do at home," he said. Dorea felt something inside her twist.

"Remus, how long have you been living with just your father?" she asked. For a moment, Remus considered lying. Who knew how these respectable pure-bloods would react to knowing the truth? But then, he felt the love pouring out in her magic and knew that this was one witch he could never lie to.

"Ever since I was four, Madam Potter." Charlus felt the same twist in his gut as his throat constricted.

"Why?" he croaked. Remus shook his head and a magnificent black owl choose that moment to tap on the window. Dorea Potter let it in and retrieved the letter, the owl leaving as soon as the deed was done, though watching from a discrete distance. Sirius had found a way to retrieve memories from animals without alerting the Ministry and knew he would want to see their reaction. It could mean happiness or depression for his favorite werewolf.

_'Don't push. His past is his story to tell. When he's ready, he'll tell, but not before. You've always been respectful, please be so now. S.O.B'_ Dorea Potter turned to her husband and gave him the note. Both were emotionless on the outside, but were wondering just how the young Black knew what they were discussing. They didn't know that Sirius had befriended one of their elves and was getting information on his friends that way. However, that is neither here nor there and at the moment, the Potters were actually quite content to listen to the letter. They were a bit worried about what kind of home life Remus might have, but decided, he was too good a boy to judge him for things he couldn't control.

"We're sorry we pushed," Dorea began, knowing the look on her husband's face.

"We were just worried about you," Charlus finished. James nodded, as did the owl outside the window. Master Sirius will be pleased.

"I can't help what I don't know, but I'm not so much of a bullheaded and overbearing guy as to force you to tell me," James said, smiling softly at the totally flummoxed brunette wizard. Remus let out an amused snort and shook his head.

"Why am I not surprised?" he asked. The Potters gave him confused looks. "Sirius' floo call the day I was dropped off? He knew what you, Madam Potter, and father were talking about and threatened me with prankgeddon to accept the 'offer,' you made. 'If you so much as _think_ about leaving that house before school starts again I will find out and I _will_ prank your sorry arse into the next century,' were his exact words, though it was the tone even more than the words that made me shudder. Who knows what that scheming Slytherin with the gall of a Griffindor would do if he had to carry out that threat?" Remus elaborated. Dorea held out the letter wordlessly and Remus read it, then chuckled. "My story indeed, Sirius. It makes me wonder how you seem to know it." The Potters wisely refrained from saying anything more. There was no need in any case.

/*/

Peter fidgeted. Why did James have to insist on all the Marauders being at the Potter Manor for Christmas? He sighed and entered the fire place. "West Parlor, Potter Manor," he called out as he threw the floo powder down. As the green flames died down, Peter shook the ash from his coat. He always made sure to wear a dingy coat over his clothes when traveling by floo. Just when he had finished hanging up his 'floo coat,' Remus came tearing around the corner and then dived behind a rather large book case. "Do I want to know?" Peter asked. Remus poked his head out with a finger over his lips.

"I was never here," the Ravenclaw hissed, a distinctly Sirius gleam in his eye. Peter shook his head, and went to find James. He didn't have far to go.

"REMUS! WHERE ARE YOU?! GET BACK HERE AND FIX THIS!" an irate James screamed as he came tearing through the hall. Peter caught him just before he slammed into the smaller boy.

"I'm not Remus, I don't know where he is, and I don't particularly feel like 'getting back here' and fixing 'this,' whatever 'this' is," Peter answered, mimicking Remus as he tried to keep himself from freaking out. That was when he actually got a look at James. He couldn't help but snicker. James had obviously been taking a shower not too long ago; as he only had on pants; and his now green hair was dripping water everywhere, his skin was silver, and he was holding a rather garish shirt that looked like it had been used by a kindergarten student to clean up after arts and crafts. "In fact, I wouldn't know how to go about fixing _that,_" Peter said, pointing to the shirt, "and I'm not too sure about the hair or the skin either," he finished, waving a hand at the glowering youth. That was when they heard the fire whoosh and someone step out of the grate.

"James! Peter! Remus! Where are you guys?" Sirius yelled.

"This isn't over," James hissed to Peter, who was feeling distinctly worried now, before entering the parlor. Now, Sirius knew, and had from the moment he exited the fire place, than Remus had recently pulled a prank on the resident bully. How did he know? Bookcases don't chuckle. However, he played dumb, even if he was cackling on the inside

"Jamsie! Petey! Where's Remmy?" Sirius asked, though he knew all too well where the as-of-then-unknown-werewolf was. After all, books don't just shiver for no reason. Looking at the other boy now, Sirius had to wonder, how _had_ Moony managed _that_ without magic?! Sirius himself would have had trouble with this particular beauty. James glowered, glaring at every shadow.

"That's what I'd like to know," the Potter growled. Sirius raised an eyebrow. Was his friend really this dense? Oh well, time to add some Sirius flare to this prank. Grinning like a madman on the inside, Sirius turned to the last Marauder.

"Pete?"

"Are you color blind?" Peter asked, giving Sirius a rather disbelieving look. The madman inside the currently well mannered Sirius began to chuckle. This was the Peter he knew. The Peter he trusted. This was his friend.

"I've considered that possibility as well. Did you know, none of his socks match?" Severus said, stepping out from behind Sirius.

"SEVYY! How could you?!" Sirius gasped in exaggerated shock, though there was some true shock in there as well. He hadn't heard the future potions master come up behind him. His friends ignored him. Sirius acted overly dramatic like that all the time.

"I've wondered about that," Peter nodded. Sirius shot him a scandalized look that no-one seemed to notice, though Sirius couldn't vouch for Bookcasey. Crazy, thoughtless thing, _always_ knowing when he was acting immature and then pointing it out in public. James, unknowing of Sirius' internal mutterings about 'Bookcasey,' changed his sneer to a rather evil looking smile and chuckled grimly. If he were to tell the truth, Sirius would have to say that seeing an eleven year old James Potter like that made him see the older, hardened, Auror James Potter, and it scared him.

"James, don't ever laugh like that ever again," Sirius said seriously, dark memories of a war best left forgotten coming to haunt him. James jerked and turned to the suddenly adult looking Sirius. At that moment, James saw what Walburga and Orion Black had seen when a four year old Sirius had woken up from a three day coma. He saw an unscarred, twenty-three year old Sirius with eyes far too old and filled with far too many ghosts. He shivered. Sirius could see that James was seeing his own After-Image, and felt a sliver of pity for his friend. Two and a half life-times, three and a half wars, twelve years in Azkaban, and watching fifteen years with the Durselys through Harry's memories had to have given him some haunted eyes.

"Only if you never look at me like that again," he said. Sirius smiled tightly, knowing he might have to break this particular promise one day, and nodded.

"Deal." Remus poked his head out in time to catch a glimpse of Sirius' war torn eyes and the faint ghost of an older man.

"How did you summon a ghost?" he asked. Sirius could have kissed the werewolf for breaking the tension, though he didn't envy the boy as James turned his vengeful gaze on him.

"AH-HA! There you are!" James shouted, diving after the suddenly afraid Remus.

"Time to go!" Remus yelped, dashing around behind the bookcase and out the door, James hot on his tail. Sirius winced internally, remembering when James would chase him down for retribution. Those were not among his fondest memories, even if he was laughing like a loon in them. He turned to Peter, knowing he had to ask the idiotic question but not caring, and already planning his next plot. Sirius turned to Peter, that prank heralding gleam in his eye and an all too familiar grin on his face.

"Prank?" asked Sirius.

"Remus came tearing in here grinning like you when I stepped out of the fire, then dived behind the bookcase. He poked his head out just long enough to say he was never there. Then I ran into James, the walking Slytherin ad. Yeah, I'd say it was a prank," Peter answered, knowing Sirius had known it was a prank the moment he entered the house. Sirius chuckled and turned to follow the screaming pair.

"Looks like Remus took my words to heart,"he said, sounding like an indulgent father. _'Good boy Remmy! Now, steal his wand, prank Minnie, and make it look like James cast a botched transfiguration! That'll knock him down a few pegs a bit quicker and maybe I'll get the real James back a bit sooner.'_ Peter shook his head. He'd never understand Sirius Black. Never. Sirius, for his part, banished what he called 'The After-Image of a Dead Life,' and grinned like a loon. "Let's go watch!" he said, nearly vibrating with anticipation. Peter shook his head, but he was smirking as well. Sirius dragged Peter with him as he raced after James.

"You're insane," he muttered, even as he smiled. Sirius laughed and Peter found himself thinking, _'Maybe this Christmas with the Marauders thing won't be as bad as I thought after all.' _Severus was left wondering just what the heck was happening before he shrugged and decided to follow. Who knew, perhaps he'd even get some good blackmail material out of the whole thing.

_/*/_

Not long after Sirius and Severus had come over, James had quickly caught up with Remus and had proceeded to have his revenge. After Remus had been given a make over consisting of a bad hair cut, red food dye, rice power, chocolate syrup, and craft feathers; James sat them down in the back garden with a smug grin. "Okay, now that that's done..."

"Evil show off Potter Lion with gleaming eyes and devious plots and a wicked soul who refuses to help out a brother and cannot take a joke when it's played on them and must inflict ten-fold pain on the perpetrator making him sticky and stinky and covered in fuzz, unable to sit or swim or even go inside because he might get the furniture or the floors dirty or sticky and the pool coated in feathers and syrup and red dye. Oh you evil, evil, evil little Lion who laughs at others pain and..." Remus muttered. Sirius idly considered the odds that Remus was attempting to see how long he could make a sentence. He was fairly sure that first one would take up at least six lines on parchment, at least with his handwriting, which seemed stuck at the level of a sixth grader who really couldn't be bothered to write properly even after he had graduated Hogwarts. Unfortunately for Remus, James cut him off.

"_Now that that's done_, we can get on with Christmas Eve Games!"

"You seem far too happy, James. I sense balloons, syrup, feathers, all manner of powders, several different creams, and the abuse of many common food and household items in the not-so-distant future," Peter said. James, Remus, and Severus all looked at the boy in shock while Sirius simply nodded by his side.

"I quite agree, my dear Badger. James does seem far too pleased with the prospect of 'games.' Perhaps we should ask for the Potters Senior to cast Shield Charms on our robes?" he asked. The shocked looks were transferred to Sirius. "What? We can't be intelligent every now and again?" the scarred boy asked, eyes wide and 'innocent,' though no-one was fooled for an instant.

"It's not that we don't think you can be intelligent, it's just that..." began James.

"Your prediction sounded incredibly like something James would do," finished Remus.

"Not to mention that your delivery was..." James trailed off, looking lost as he searched for the proper term.

"Perfect and perfectly humorous, considering the setting," Remus said, helping James finish his thought. Said boy was nodding with his arms crossed and eyes closed.

"Precisely," he said, still nodding. Sirius shook his head at the two, then had a brain wave. Pulling out his wand, he looked at Remus seriously.

"I want to try something, if you're willing," he said. Remus gave him a worried look, to which Sirius replied with a feral grin. "Since we're at the Potter Manor and James' parents are here, and of age, the Ministry can write off any magic being done as the responsible adults or at the very least being over seen by them. I've read up on cleaning spells and I might be able to do something about your... mess," the Black Heir said, still grinning. Oh, it was so much fun being with these three again!

"I'm impressed, Black. That's actually rather well thought out," Severus drawled. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"You would be, wouldn't you? Now, why don't you take this as a chance to find a potion that can reverse the effects of food dye on skin?" he said, though his words weren't as cutting as they would have been in his first life. Time was a strange thing, but even stranger was how watching Harry's early life had helped the time-traveler mature the extra twelve years he had lost in Azkaban. Severus, for his part, shook his head at the frivolous answer. Remus looked doubtful for a moment, then remembered the privacy wards from earlier that year.

"If you think you can," he said, standing. Sirius' eyes lit up like none of them had yet seen and his grin turned from feral to blindingly joyful as he swished his wand. If he muttered the incantation a split second later than he should have, as if belatedly realizing he couldn't do it wordlessly, no-one commented. Remus was too shocked that Sirius had sprayed him with conjured water to say anything while Peter and James were laughing and Severus was torn between amusement and shock. Sirius was supremely pleased with himself. Oh yes, it was good to be back with the Marauders, even if they were a good bit different than he remembered.

"You... know _augmenti_?" asked Severus. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Well obviously," he drawled, twirling his wand between his fingers. James shook his head, ridding himself of the frozen portion of his shock.

"Well... you did do something for the syrup and feathers," he said. Sirius grinned his canine grin, though it was slightly marred by the scars on his face.

"Said I would, didn't I?" he said, twirling his wand. Remus shook his head, then got a wicked gleam in his eye and shook like a dog, spraying Sirius with his own conjured water. "Hey! Moony! What was that for?" he asked, indignant. Remus eased into a care-free stance and smirked at his Slytherin friend.

"That was for not warning me," he said. Sirius froze, then gave him a considering look.

"James rubbed off on you," he said. Remus blinked and tilted his head questioningly. "You're much more fun now," Sirius elaborated. It was true, being forced to spend the whole break with James had hastened the unbending of one Remus John Lupin. A decidedly Slytherin smile spread across Sirius' face. "Pete, I decree that you shall spend the summer with me. Kindly make the arrangements with your family," he said, leveling 'the finger' at the mousy haired Hufflepuff. Remus and James raised their eyebrows while Severus shook his head at the Black Heir.

"No amount of hanging around you could possibly help Mr. Pettigrew's lack of cunning or originality, Mr. Black," the potions protege stated. Sirius frowned at his past-future enemy.

"What about Reggie? Or you? Or my father? Or my uncle Alphard? Or grandfather Pollux?" he asked. Severus sighed.

"Proximity to anyone could not change Mr. Pettigrew," he maintained. Sirius shook his head, face grave.

"You misunderstand, Severus. I do not wish to change Mr. Pettigrew, simply pull at hidden potential and minimize possible _major_ character flaws before they come to stab all of us in the back," he said, allowing his After-Image-of-a-Dead-Life to show. Severus shivered and relented, but Peter was concerned.

"Would this have anything to do with that speech you made when we first met?" he asked. Sirius nodded seriously. Peter sighed. "Fine. I'll talk to my parents, but I promise nothing," he said. Sirius grinned while the others were shocked or curious.

"Speech?" asked Remus, remembering when he had first met his friends. Peter had said something about a speech then too. Sirius sighed.

"Got a penesive, James?" he asked. James nodded and lead the way to where he kept his personal memory viewer. Sirius pulled the memory of his first meeting with Peter and motioned for the others to enter. Peter, having been there, chose to sit at James' desk and look at some of the muggle prank books the Potter Heir had laying around. They were surprisingly entertaining. A moment later, Remus, James, and Severus emerged from the basin with pensive looks on their faces.

"Could you really see the signs back then?" James asked softly. Sirius sighed.

"There is more to it, but yes. They are even more plain today," he said. It was a subdued group of pre-teens who trundled downstairs. Dorrea Potter shook her head at the boys and placed chocolate cakes in front of them, not even asking why Remus was soaking wet. At least, the boys thought she didn't ask when really she had watched and been mildly impressed with Sirius' spellwork. It was nearly unheard of that a first year could conjure water with such precision, power, and so quickly. Sirius had a feeling Mrs. Potter had seen, but didn't worry over it. He still saw her as more of a mother than Walburga, even with Walburga being a bit more of a real human being. After the cake, the Christmas Games began and Peter was proven correct. James could make something as harmless as a card game into a hazardous activity. Go-Fish became Go-Fish-a-Rapidly-Squirming-Card-out-of-a-Mess-of-Other-Rapidly-Moving-Cards and paper cuts were rather abundant. Once James' Christmas Games of Doom were over, it was time for presents. Severus was surprised to see that all four Marauders had gotten him something, though James' gift was a bit harsh. Peter gave him a set of phials, Remus gave him a muggle notebook, James gave him a bottle of Old Spice shower gel and some shampoo, and Sirius gave him a potions book that was clearly old.

"It's from the Black Library. Don't worry, I went straight to the author to receive permission so my family won't be hunting you down anytime soon," Sirius said, seeing Severus' puzzled expression.

"The author is still alive?" asked James. Sirius smiled softly.

"Great-grandfather Sirius Black the Second, and no. I have a portrait of him in my room at Grimwald place," he said. Severus suddenly understood why Sirius had given him _this_ book in particular. It was written by his namesake. Severus felt a little guilty that he hadn't gotten any of the others anything, but Sirius brushed it off.

"You know us possibly even less than we know you, don't worry about it." All in all, it turned out to be a rather happy Christmas.

/*/

Peter was never so happy to go the school. He was finally free of the insanity that was Potter manor! Sure most of the insanity came from James and Sirius, but still! His Housemates were rather amused as he bounced into the common room. "Someone had a good Christmas," one of his year mates commented. Peter shivered.

"Never again will I allow James Potter to rope me into his Christmas Games. Who knew a simple game of Go-Fish could possibly be so dangerous?" he commented back.

"Peter, why do you even hang out with Potter?" asked one of the upper years. Peter sighed as he sank into one of the many bean bag chairs in the common room.

"Sirius Black."

"The Slytherin?" Peter smirked, an expression no-one had seen on his face previously. They did not believe it fit.

"Slytherdor, actually. That's what he calls himself. And really, he has the heart of a Gryffindor with the mind of a Slytherin, the loyalty of a Hufflepuff, and the ridiculous love of riddles and puzzles of a Ravenclaw. He could have gone to any house, but Slytherin and Gryffindor are the two strongest. Besides, Sirius isn't like other Slytherins, Jones. He's..." Peter trailed off, realizing that he was going to say 'a good man.' But Sirius was only elven. How could an eleven year old be a man? The fourth year, now known as Jones, shook his head.

"Yeah yeah, tell yourself whatever you want. At least that Ravenclaw – Lupin was it? – seems a decent sort," he said. Peter huffed.

"James, Sirius, and_ Severus_ are also 'a decent sort,' I'll have you know! They were decent enough to at least try to be friends with a talentless lump like me weren't they?" he said, feeling rather like a Gryffindor himself. Jones took a step back. This was the first time Peter had stood up like that.

"Alright alright! And just so you know, you aren't a talentless lump. If they can see that, they'll be true friends to you, Peter," the fourth year said as he got up. Peter shook his head.

"True friends, huh? When has a true friend ever threatened you in order to get close to you?" he muttered. The other Hufflepuffs who heard grew worried about their 'Baby Puff' as they called him. Even though he was the same age as all the other first years, they all saw him as the kid brother and many of them resolved to have a 'talk' with Sirius. No-one bullied their Baby Puff, not even a Black.

/*/

Peter found out about the plan, and quickly pulled Sirius to the side before their first class the next day. "Hey Pete, what's up?" asked Sirius, truly curious. Peter sighed and rubbed the back of his head.

"I... may have... let slip... how you got me to give you a chance?" he said. Sirius was puzzled for a moment, until he realized he had pretty much bullied Peter into being his friend. He sighed.

"So, in other words, I'm about to have a horde of angry Badgers after my Snake hide?" he said. Peter couldn't help but chuckle at this.

"Well... not to put too fine a point on it but... yeah. I'm kinda afraid of what they might do to you!" he said. Sirius shook his head.

"I doubt they could do much to me, but thank you for the warning. Maybe if you told them I wasn't really going to kill you... nah, that wouldn't work. I was warning you of what would undoubtedly happen if you went against me so saying I _wasn't_ going to kill you might not be true, strictly speaking," Sirius said, adopting his thinking pose. Peter shook his head again, smiling faintly.

"Sometimes I wonder why I even let you make me your friend," he said. Sirius chuckled.

"Because, deep down, you _like_ danger. And who could deny that I am dangerous?" he said.

"No-one?" chimed Remus. Sirius looked at him as if he had never seen anything like him before.

"How the heck did you get over here when you have class with the Gryffindors _on the other side of the castle_?!" he asked, eyes wide. Remus smirked in a way eerily like a mix of James' 'I have something planned' smirk and Sirius' own feral grin. It sent chills down the other two Marauder's spines.

"Magic." The other Slytherins, and quite a few of the Hufflepuffs, turned in surprise and curiosity when a meaty _thud_ resounded in the hallway. "Hum, face-wall. Something tells me you're doing it wrong," Remus said, creepy smirk still firmly in place. Sirius pried his face from the wall and leveled Remus with a similar, trouble heralding, smirk.

"You're right. _This_ is how it's done!" and with that, Sirius grabbed the back of Remus' head and introduced his face to the wall. Peter snorted, then helped Remus pry himself off the stone of Hogwarts.

"Class?" he asked, doing a rather remarkable impersonation of the Remus Lupin Sirius had first befriended, slightly sarcastic voice and quirked eyebrow and all. Remus nodded.

"Too right. Well, I'll see you gentlemen later I suppose. Try not to get lynched Sirius, I don't think even James knows enough about you to give a proper eulogy," he said before dashing toward his class. Sirius shook his head.

"Dictionary Breath," he muttered, causing Peter to chuckle. Privately, Sirius was over the moon with happiness. Peter was already showing his more Gryffindor side, even if his Hufflpuff side was stronger, and Remus was showing his more dramatic and fun loving self. Though, that had been a rather unlikely impersonation of First!Sirius as well as First!Remus. Wow, what was next? James doing an impersonation of First!Peter? Sirius himself doing an impersonation of First!James? He shook his head and entered the class room wearily. The rest of the month went smoothly, though Sirius still noticed things that were different. James' attitude toward Lily, however, was the same. Then he had a brilliant idea. He'd break tradition and sit at the Gryffindor table every once in a while. His mind made up, Sirius sat be side James the very next day. Shocked, the Potter Heir looked at his best friend.

"What are you doing over here?" he asked. Sirius paused, then decided to be brutally honest.

"I wanted to get to know the other Gryffs I'll likely be forced to associate with if I'm going to be your friend. Plus you're like a twin to me, so I wanted to have lunch with my brother. I'm sitting with Remus at dinner and Pete at breakfast. Then two meals with the Slytherins, and the pattern repeats. Simple really," he said. James chuckled, but shook his head.

"You're an odd one, you know that?" he said. Sirius chuckled.

"It pays to be the odd one sometimes," he said vaguely. For the rest of the meal, Sirius refused to speak of anything other than classes, pranks, and food. In a way, James was happy for this but in another, he wished Sirius would just give him a straight answer for once. He should have known better than to ask for that from a Black.

/*/

The rest of the year progressed smoothly. Or rather, as smoothly as it could when the Marauders were there. Sirius was spoiled for the exciting times Harry had had at Hogwarts and found re-doing his education to be rather boring, but decided to put more effort into his work than he had previously. He also joined Remus in the library, looking up obscure branches of magic and expanding on what he already knew. It took another two weeks after the incident with the Hufflepuffs for Sirius to come to a rather startling discovery. Learning things was fun and there was a lot he could learn, even in first year, that would be very helpful. Soon, he was learning History from the ghosts who _weren't_ Binns, pouring over Severus' potions notes; much to the future Potions Master's displeasure; talking to the few centaurs who didn't try to kill him on sight, conversing with the merfolk, helping out in the greenhouses, perfecting his mental shields, learning to invade another person's mind, and researching time travel as well as dimension travel. He couldn't do anything with that research just yet, but it didn't hurt to get started early. It was a restful period in their lives, but Sirius knew it was just a matter of time before it all went up in smoke. That summer, he made sure to invite his friends over whenever he could, or to visit them. He wanted to make some memories of happy times before the darkness came and wiped it all away. Voldemort came out into the open with his plans a few weeks before Hogwarts started up again. Sirius snarled to himself when Walburga commented that she thought the Dark Lord was right and that Sirius should join him. What a short sighted woman, to think a Dark Lord wouldn't go killing those who didn't agree with him regardless of 'blood status.' He was looking forward to returning to Hogwarts. Perhaps there he could make a difference in how people thought. And through it all, he forgot to drag Peter over to spend the summer at his house.

A/N: Next up... Voldy makes his first move and... Regulus comes to Hogwarts! We're beginning to get to the good part. Please don't hate me if it takes longer than usual to post a new chapter as I'm still working on chapter 10... and having a rough time writing the Black family. You'd think write witty sarcastic people wouldn't be too hard for me, since I'm kinda like that, but no. Regulus eludes me half the time, Walburga is just... eh, Orion is... I'm not even sure what he _should_ be, and Kreature... I misspell his name most of the time, I'm sure of it! Oh well, I'll figure it out. Auf Wiedersehen!

Regenengel3

Proverbs 4:19

"But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**: The Emergence of a Dark Lord and the Sorting

Severus was amazed at how easily Sirius brushed off the glares sent his way by the older Syltherins after he had called Voldemort a 'Dark Half-Blood hypocrite who wouldn't know a salamander from a dragon hatchling' in the common room. "How do you do it?" he asked. Sirius grinned at him.

"I had a hard life once. I hated it. So I decided to not let things get to me so much. You should try it. Much more fun that way," he had said before tearing off to cause goodness alone knew what kind of trouble. Severus shook his head, but followed Sirius out of the room. So what if he didn't know what, exactly, the Black Heir was talking about. It made a certain amount of mad sense.

"Is it really so easy?" he asked. Sirius grinned at him.

"It is for me." Again shaking his head, Severus followed until they came upon Remus Lupin.

"Have you any idea how he handles it all?" the only slightly greasy Slytherin asked. Remus shook his head with a smile that could vaguely be called fond.

"I'd say that, he's seen it all before and he's done it all before. Why should he be worried or bent out of shape when he knows how to tear his enemies down methodically, meticulously, and with extreme prejudice as well as cunning and deviousness Salazar Slytherin himself would have been proud of?" Remus said before heading toward the library with Peter, who smiled faintly at Severus as he passed. Shrugging, Severus followed. Whatever the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were doing _had_ to be more sensible than whatever in the world Black and Potter were getting up to. Great was his surprise when he found not only Sirius and James already there, but Lily, Alice, Frank, and Marlene as well. And they were all planning a prank on Professor Slughorn. _'He is a bit pushy when it comes to those Slug Club parties. Perhaps I'll join in, just this once,'_ he thought after a his moment of shock had worn off.

/*/

"I have a new level of respect for you, Severus. That. Was._ GENIUS!_ Did you see his face?! Ah~! Well done, Young Grasshopper, we have taught you well," Sirius said with a breathless grin even as he scrubbed the toilet. Severus rolled his eyes.

"All I did was suggest that we brew a potion to coat Professor Slughorn's desk in that would make anything and everything stick to it while releasing a rather noxious smell when said objects are removed without the use of the counter-potion. It was nothing, really," he said. The others all stopped and looked at him as though he were insane.

"_NOTHING?! _Severus, you not only suggested the perfect office prank, you brewed the potion and then applied it," Frank said, the others nodding their agreement. Severus sighed.

"Pranking a teacher is not genius. Now that I think on it, I can't believe I did that," he said, voice slowly fading as he contemplated his complete lack of common sense. Sirius snorted.

"I wasn't entirely talking about the prank mate. I meant your potion. It was top class. Simply perfect. I can see you following your past-future as a potions master," he said. The others froze, then turned to level a confused look on the young Black. Sirius, noticing his slip, groaned. "I mean... I can see him becoming a Potions Master after Hogwarts and doing lots of really amazing Potions stuff. Yeah." Severus snorted and shook his head.

"Potions is the only area where I ever want to be compared to Severus the First, Black. I am sure you remember how unpleasant a person he was," he said. Sirius nodded, though he was a little confused. There had been another Severus Snape? Huh, wonders never cease.

"True, true. Your namesake wasn't quite as easy to be around as you, but you really are quite similar. He wasn't all bad, not really." Severus shook his head, not agreeing with the Black Heir but deciding to keep his peace for the moment. It never did any good arguing with Black. Especially_ that_ Black.

/*/

The days rolled on, the Marauders pulled pranks, occasionally Severus, Lily, Frank, or Alice would help, sometimes all of them, and classes continued. Marlene announced, five weeks after the Slughorn prank, that she was now a Marauder, though Severus knew it was because of Sirius. The Black Heir seemed to have taken a real liking to the feisty Gryffindor and on-one really felt like telling him he couldn't hang out with her. Not when they knew he was capable of unleashing prankgeddon. It was the week of finals when the first black letter arrived. Sirius immediately stood and made his way to the poor Ravenclaw it landed in front of. "Open it. It will only be worse if you wait for someone close to you to send a letter. Believe me, I know," Sirius said, that same haunted look appearing on his face that always did when he thought about his past. The poor girl swallowed heavily and opened the letter. Remus and Sirius held her as she cried, each knowing it was only the beginning. When she was done, she turned to them both.

"Who?" Remus asked softly, knowing Sirius would understand where it was directed. Sirius looked at Remus and the werewolf had the same look in his eyes as the first time he faced down a Death Eater in the Past-Future.

"Far, far too many," Sirius said, Remus nodding his head, accepting that vague explanation. Sirius only ever gave vague explanations when it came to things like this.

"It was my Mum and Dad. I don't have anywhere left, they were both only children. What am I going to do?" she cried, a new wave of tears dripping down her face. Sirius looked at Remus, then to the Gryffindor table. James saw the look and quickly came over.

"Anything I can do?" he asked. The girl looked up at the rather handsome second year.

"She just lost the only family..."

"I have a brother," the girl interrupted. Sirius turned to her with a look of surprise.

"Older or younger?"

"Younger," she choked.

"James?" Remus asked.

"I don't know, Remus. This is the first time I've actually spoken to miss... um... what's your name?" James asked, as awkward as a youth could ever be.

"Jane. Jane Clara Jones."

"JANE JONES!?" Sirius suddenly shouted, leaping out of his seat. Jane looked at him, utterly confused.

"Yeah. Why?" Remus looked at his friend, equally confused and echoing her question.

"Well, um, you see..." James suddenly understood. He knew that Sirius 'just knew' things, and about a lot of people, so he figured this was one of those people he 'just knew' about.

"Do you have any really close friends? Anyone who's family knows you and would be willing to take you in?" James asked. She shook her head, tears starting up again. James nodded. "Then I would like to make an offer before you get put into the system. I would like to offer to make you and your brother wards of House Potter, providing you with a home, tuition, books, clothes, and an allowance set by the Head of House Potter until you and your brother come of age." Jane was shocked. Her life had been turned upside down and inside out in the space of five minutes. "Of course, you may have a few days to come to terms with things and think on my offer, I still have to write my family to see if they'll agree after all. Take your time and use this offer to fend off those you really don't want to stay with. I would be glad to act as your shield for the time being," James was quick to add. Sirius gave him a proud smile, feeling much better about Jane's future now that the Potters had extended their hand to her and her brother.

"Personally, I'd take the offer," Sirius said at the same time as Remus. Both boys chuckled, then Remus nodded to Sirius to explain. "The Potters are a very wealthy and influential family that goes back to easily the time of the Founders. Add to that Lord Charlus, James' father, is not only a key player in the Wizmont, the wizarding court, but is also an accomplished Auror and his wife is essentially my cousin which gives her the ability to use Black Family magic, which include some rather impressive wards, and you have pretty much the safest manor in Britain. Plus Charlus could tutor you in Defense, Charms, and Transfiguration while Dorrea could tutor you in Potions, History, and Astronomy while the library there could help you with anything else you might require."

"Also, you'd be gaining at least four older brothers, since me, Sirius, and Peter consider James a brother in all but blood. Severus Snape and Regulus Black, Sirius' little brother, might also join in claiming you as an honorary sister," Remus added. Jane was now clearly overwhelmed.

"You won't corrupt my brother now will you?" she asked, pointedly looking at Sirius and James. Both boys grinned.

"Depends on what you call 'corrupting' dear Jane. If you mean teaching him how to safely prank someone and or insult them then it's practically a given, but it might be outweighed by all the other stuff we could teach him," they said together. Sirius then added, "We would, of course, also try to teach him honor, chivalry, cunning, and how to stand up for himself properly, meaning with honor and chivalry. Though, I think James might be better for most of that then me. I am a Slytherin after all."

"Slytherdor, my good fellow. Slytherdor," Peter said from behind the Black Heir, making said wizard jump about a foot in the air, spin around, and collapse on the floor with his wand emitting red and gold sparks as he waved it around, clearly seeking whoever was sneaking up on him. "Jumpy much?" Peter asked, a faint smile dancing on his lips. Sirius huffed as he stood and brushed himself off.

"You surprised me, that's all," he said, still a bit disgruntled. Jane giggled.

"Thanks for cheering me up. I'll go ask John what he thinks about all this. I'll see you later?" she said. Four grins answered her question as she dashed to the owlary.

"Thanks for that, James. I would have offered, but the Black family is a bit... dodgy," Sirius said, turning to his friend. James shook his head with a fond smile.

"'Dodgy' is putting it mildly, Sirius," he said before making his way back to his own table.

/*/

Easily twelve more black letters were delivered by the end of the term and Sirius had tried his best to make sure all of the students who found the rug jerked out from under them were comforted and had a decent place to stay as well as a shoulder to cry on when needed. As the Marauders and Severus got on the train, they all looked at Sirius. "What do you know?" they asked, hoping he would be able to alleviate their fears.

"Do you really want to know?" he asked. Severus's jaw tightened.

"Yes," he said softly. Sirius laid a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, but the coming horror might even be understated in my prediction of major events. Severus, this is war, and it's only going to get worse before it gets better. I'm truly sorry, but the time will come when we all must take a side and fight with everything we have and more to save those we care about and the future of our children. The American muggle Aurors have a motto I find quite fitting: To Serve and Protect. When I am given the choice, I intend to do just that by taking down as many evil, twisted, selfish bigots as I can before I'm taken down."

"Here here, but there's something I don't quite get. How did you think Sirius might possibly know how this whole thing's going to play out?" Marlene asked Severus. Sirius shook his head.

"I'm not telling. Not yet. Perhaps next year?" he said, hoping to dodge the bullet. The others appeared mollified, but Sirius knew he would have to tell them sometime in the next year. He just hoped they'd be able to handle what he was inevitably going to tell them.

/*/

Over the rest of the summer, Sirius and his friends, along with Regulus, read the Daily Prophet with their hearts in their throats as more and more people lost their lives to a mad hypocrite who was simply a half-blood orphan dissatisfied with his lot in life, though Sirius was the only one who knew Voldemort's background. Despite the horror going on, Sirius enjoyed watching Regulus as he gathered his school supplies and bought his first wand. It was only a few short weeks before they were packing everything they would need and double checking their bags. Just as Sirius forced his trunk closed for the last time, Regulus announced his presence. "Hey Reggie! Can I help you with something?" Sirius asked with a smile. Regulus shifted uneasily, then suddenly spit out,

"What House do you think I'll be in?" Sirius smirked, a twinkle in his eye.

"Whichever one you're suited for, Regulus."

"You seem more of a Gryffindor than a Slytherin, and yet you wear the green and silver. If you're a Slytherin, what am I?" asked a thoroughly unimpressed Regulus. Sirius sighed, his head drooping. Regulus almost felt bad for causing his brother distress. Almost. His insecurity was more in need of addressing than Sirius' bruised feelings.

"You, could be anything, Regulus. You're smart and witty, just like a Ravenclaw. Hard work and loyalty are also plain to see, so maybe a Hufflepuff. You're brave and courteous and have a strong sense of honor so Gryffindor can't be ruled out, but there's also cunning and ambition. I really don't know, Regulus, I really don't know," the elder Black brother responded with a heavy sigh.

"Which are strongest?"

"Your Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Hufflepuff traits. I'd say that it'll be a race between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, but if you have strong ambitions and plan to use cunning to make them reality Slytherin could have a real chance. And don't worry if you get don't get Sorted into Slytherin. James will look out for you in Gryffindor, Remus in Ravenclaw, and Peter in Hufflepuff. If you do get Sorted into Slytherin, me and Severus will keep bullies and the like away until you learn enough to make them run for the hills. Shouldn't be more than a term or two for that to happen," Sirius answered, grinning at his little brother near the end. Regulus wasn't too pleased, but understood what his brother was trying to do.

"Thanks for that, but really, what if I..."

"Regulus Arctucus Black, I swear to you that should you be Sorted into another House, you will never feel the pain I did. The fear, the pain, the revulsion, the rejection, I won't let it touch you. This house will not become the den of rotting villainy for you as it did for me. In fact, I'm hoping your Gryffindor side will be strong enough to get you Sorted there. You'll need the courage of the house of lions to stand against the darkness that is striking out, and I'll need you by my side when the fighting really starts. Now, stop fretting and go get ready!" Sirius cut him off, shoving him toward his room. As Regulus finished his packing, he found that his nerves were gone. He smirked. Good old Sirius, always knowing what to say to lay his fears to rest. Sirius then shooed the boy off to his own room to finish his packing or read a book, he did really care what Regulus ended up doing. He just wanted the boy out of the room so he could wipe his proud tears away without teasing. However, despite this, it was a rather subdued group who entered the Hogwarts Express come September. "I know just what we need to do gang," Sirius said. Peter groaned and slid down his seat slightly. "What's got you going all limp noddle Pete?"

"When you say you know what to do, it means trouble for at least one person, and generally whoever helps you as well," he answered. Remus chuckled.

"Well, when that trouble sees people laughing, I'd gladly take it," he said. Sirius grinned his canine, troublemaker grin.

"And there's the evidence you could have been a Gryff, Remus. Now, I was thinking we could take a huge plate of tarts, drip some sort of potion on them, and slip a few onto a few plates on each of the tables. I'm up for suggestions on what kind of potion it should be though," he said. James shook his head, but tossed in his own two cents.

"What about four different potions? And four different plates? We could each prank our own houses that way," he said, beginning to get into the spirit of things. Sirius's eyes lit up at that and saw Severus, Peter, and Regulus groaning.

"Way to go, James. You just encouraged him. Next thing you know he'll have Slytherin talking like kids from the hood over in America while Gryffindor would be talking in prose and Hufflepuff would be marching down the halls with balloon swords and challenging people to duels of honor!" Regulus said, then froze. "Oh no. I just gave him an idea, didn't I?" he asked, terror appearing in his eyes as they darted between the other 'sane' people in the carriage. James and Sirius were grinning like fools with sparks of excitement nearly jumping out of their eyes. Then Remus 'The Sane One' Lupin began to giggle. Regulus and Severus paled, preparing to dive out the door and warn the whole train that Remus 'The Mature One' Lupin was giggling like a mad man while grinning a Sirius Black grin when Peter piped up.

"And Ravenclaws would be avoiding the library while speaking Troll. Or perhaps they should be waltzing down the hallways and making poor puns. Hum... poor puns... poor buns... HOT BUNS!" and with that last, rather random, comment, Peter dashed out of the carriage. His abandoned companions assumed this was in search of the food trolly to see if it sold hot buns.

"He does know the trolly _doesn't_ sell hot buns... right?" James asked, all the others being either too gobsmacked or too busy laughing to respond.

"I don't really think he cares Prongs!" Sirius gasped. Regulus looked between James, Remus, and his brother before shaking his own head.

"All of you are nuts," he said. Sirius threw back his head and began roaring with laughter.

"And therein lays the fun, brother dearest!" he said. Another shake of the head and Regulus left the compartment.

"I'm leaving before I catch the Crazy," he muttered, though that over the shoulder comment saw the other laughing even harder. Severus shook his head and followed the younger Black. Sirius was still chuckling when they pulled into Hogsmead Station.

/*/

Regulus found his way back to his brother for a moment before being rushed to the boats for his first journey to the castle. When Hogwarts came into view, it nearly took Regulus' breath away. He had begged Sirius to show him some memories of Hogwarts, but his brother had always denied him. Now he knew why. Next thing he was conscious of was walking into the Great Hall of the famous castle and locking eyes with Sirius. The Marauder's eyes were sparkling and his grin was as bright as the candles floating above his table. Regulus could almost hear his brother's voice in his head saying, 'I told you so. Awesome, isn't it?' And then the youngest Black brother turned to face the staff table and the Hat. He was a little surprised that a Hat was doing the Sorting, but then he thought of the near manic glee on his brother's face and mentally shook his head. Of course it was a hat, what else could it possibly have been? The Sorting Song finished, Regulus was suddenly very glad his name was Black and would see him among the first Sorted. As he stood there waiting, his mind went back to the conversation he and Sirius had had just before leaving. He smiled faintly to himself, drawing comfort from his brother's assurances. He was lucky to have a brother like Sirius, and he'd be an idiot to throw away a gift like that. Soon, it was his turn to get Sorted.

"Black, Regulus!" called McGonagal and Regulus made his way to the stool. He swallowed heavily, then pushed all his fear and insecurity down deep inside himself and walked sedately to the stool and sank gracefully onto the aged wood.

"_Ah~! Another Black, another tricky case. Your brother was right, you do fit all but Slytherin, despite your undeniable cunning. You are much more witty, more of a scholar, than a cunning plotter. You could be great in Ravenclaw, but the Lions would benefit from you as well,"_ the ancient hat 'spoke.' Regulus once again pushed down his fears and thought back on Sirius' reassurances.

"_I will go where I am suited. I have friends in all four Houses,"_ he 'said' back. The hat gave an impression of laughter.

"_Well now, in that case better be... _RAVENCLAW!" the hat responded, Regulus the only one to hear the amusement in the hat's 'voice.' With an uncertain breath, like a shuddering gasp mixed with a heavy sigh, Regulus took the hat from his head and handed it back to Mcgonagall before making his way to the Ravenclaw table where Remus was already making a place for him. Regulus fell heavily onto the bench.

"What's _he_ doing here?! Everyone knows Blacks belong in Slytherin!" one of the other third year 'Claws shouted. Remus growled, James glared, Peter snarled, and Severus froze, but what really stilled the Hall was Sirius. As slowly as a glacier, and just as cold, Sirius stood.

"No-one... insults... my _brother_," he said, his low voice filling the room. The temperature seemed to drop by a few degrees as those words echoed in the students minds.

"Anyone who does..." began James, his eyes flashing dangerously and his fingers playing around his wand.

"Will face the combined might of the Marauders," Remus finished, his voice a low and menacing growl. Peter nodded as he stood as well.

"And I'm sure you all know what the Marauders can do when... _inspired_," the Hufflepuff added, sneer still in place, but coupled with narrowed eyes. It was a decidedly terrifying image. Even more so than James Potter playing with his wand while glaring. Why? Because Peter was always either kind or afraid, never angry. He was beyond angry this time though. He was in a towering rage so potent, it froze his heart and stilled his mind. Sirius had never seen it before, but he was glad that it was triggered by the right thing. Bullying. Regulus was overwhelmed by the support, but then again, these were his brother's friends who knew what his brother had been through, at least a little. Of course they would stand up for him.

"You said, '_Regulus Arctucus Black, I swear to you that should you be Sorted into another House, you will never feel the pain I did. The fear, the pain, the revulsion, the rejection, I won't let it touch you.'_ You told me, '_James will look out for you in Gryffindor, Remus in Ravenclaw, and Peter in Hufflepuff._' Well, you were right and you were wrong. That pain, I don't feel it, so that way you're right. Where you're wrong is, you're _all_ keeping the bullies away until, what was that phrase you used? Oh yeah! 'U_ntil you learn enough to make them run for the hills,_'" he said. Sirius blinked, then the Marauders, and Severus, burst out laughing.

"He has you there," Severus said, a smirk playing on his face, a sparkle in his eyes. Sirius grinned at his little brother.

"Yeah, now, can we get on with all this? I'm hungry," he said. The Hall fell into laughter before Dumbledor brought it back to order. The Sorting went smoothly after that, but Sirius was uneasy and, after greeting the new Slytherins, went over to the Ravenclaw table. "Budge over," he said, shoving the boy next to Regulus slightly. He eagerly complied while Remus and Regulus scooted over a little as well.

"Thanks," Regulus said quietly. Sirius grinned.

"I know what it's like. Despite being known as the House of the Wise, Claws can be some of the most tactless people you'll ever meet," he replied. "Pass the potatoes?" Regulus smirked at his brother, but passed the potatoes anyway. It was going to be an interesting year, everyone could tell.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine! Unless you see a name you don't recognize. That's mine.

Notes to reviewers: Moony1972 – THANK YOU! I'm so glad someone likes my comedy! And I didn't know if the pranks were good enough for the Marauders, so it's gratifying that you think they were good.

Cloudy Rabbit – Regulus needed the love. And really, everything I've ever seen of Regulus points towards either Ravenclaw or Gryffindor. He was brave enough, and some might say stupid enough, to go against Voldie and then if you add in Sirius pushing him to be his own person... more on that from Sirius.

Reviewers in general – THANK YOU SO MUCH! I love that people like this little brain child of mine enough to comment on them. The fact that your reviews have been _glowing_ is just the icing on the cake really. Keep it up and feed my muse! She likes tuna. Oh, and ideas.

**Chapter 7:** Third Year Begins

Remus chuckled faintly as he watched Regulus come flopping down the stairs, half asleep and disheveled. "Couldn't sleep any longer?" he asked, fighting to hold back his laughter. Regulus turned to him slowly, before lifting his eyes and giving Remus one of the deadliest glares the young man had ever seen.

"Stupid Claws. Haven't you ever heard of personal space?" he growled out. Remus chuckled a little.

"Yes, actually, we have. It's just that... you're a Black. Plus... Sirius doesn't exactly have the best reputation. Oh he's one of the more tolerable Snakes, to be sure, but he's still..."

"A Snake. I get it," Regulus yawned, "but can't they _not_ take it out on me?" he asked. Remus shook his head.

"Don't think so. Sorry Eaglet, just the way it is." Regulus glared.

"I'm not an animal, Lupin." Remus sighed, running a hand through his hair. Shioban, a girl Remus wasn't too close with, chose that moment to walk down the stairs.

"Hum~. Trouble in paradise?" she asked with a smirk and quirked eyebrow. Regulus shook his head.

"Madam, could you kindly not make such strange comments? I'd rather not have 'gay poof' added to the list of things I am. So far I have 'Stinking Black,' 'Slytherin Spy,' 'Dark Boy,' and 'Stupid Geek,' the last of which I honestly don't understand. I was under the impression that a geek was smart. There were likely a few others, but I lost them in the tirade of other, more colorful, insults and derogatory comments. I think you can understand the desire of an eleven year old to not add to that rather soul-crushing list," he said. Remus sighed again.

"Thanks for that, Regulus. Now I have to either lie to my best friend and say that you're fine and getting along alright or tell him the truth and have a rather irate, creative, conniving, sneaky, vindictive, and fiercely protective Sirius Black stalking me like some sort of wounded gazelle," he said. Regulus gave him a blank look. "Sirius asked for me to look out for you. If he finds out that you got bullied that badly on your first night, he'll have my hide! And then go after the other Firsties who dared mess with his baby brother," Remus expounded. Regulus' eyes went wide as he realized what having an extra hundred and forty odd years, mentally at least, would do to his big brother. To Sirius, Regulus really was a baby, for all that Sirius' body was only two years older than Regulus himself.

"Did I say 'bullying?' I meant 'welcoming!' They were welcoming me to Ravenclaw. Nothing out of the ordinary, really," he said with a nervous laugh and a slightly shaky smile. Remus shot him a look, clearly wanting an explanation for the rapid change as well as the nervousness. Regulus had to disappoint him, for now. He wasn't about to betray his brother's secret to another. Remus shrugged and grabbed the younger Black by the upper arm.

"So you won't tell me, that's fine. But all the same, I did promise Sirius I'd look out for you and that means straightening you out when you look like a niffiler had a party in your hair and herd of pygmypuffs attacked your clothes," he said, dragging the protesting Regulus into the third year boys dorm. Twenty minutes later, a perfectly in order Regulus came down the stairs followed by a pleased looking Remus.

"Did you have to do that?" Regulus asked. Remus, grinning an all too cheeky grin that heralded trouble, replied,

"Why yes, I did." Shioban had already left, and so couldn't ask _what_ Remus had had to do. Xenophilius Lovegood, however, was and asked for her.

"He went into the First Year boys dorm, silenced them all, then spewed pink bubbles from his wand to stick on all of their clothes and hair," Regulus answered, Remus looking remarkably smug behind him. That was when the aforementioned First Years came down stairs. A few still had the bubbles stuck to them but most had... "Is that... stinksap?" asked an incredulous Regulus Black. Remus began to cackle evilly before him and the younger Black edged away from the Marauder. He had known of the reputation his brother and his friends had, but this was something else. Something he hadn't entirely wanted to witness. Remus Lupin truly looked like an evil mastermind reveling in a diabolical plan executed to perfection.

"And _that_, ladies and gentlemen, is why you _never_ mess with a Marauder _or_ his family!" Remus declared to the common room. All the new first year students looked on in fear while the older students were mildly surprised, though a few were nodding.

"They _did_ give you a warning," a fifth year said, giving the pranked boys a baleful look.

"I didn't think they'd act on the first day!" one of them countered. The whole room went still, even the unknowing first years, at that comment. Regulus, feeling magic rolling off Remus in angry waves, inched away as smoothly and quietly as he could. He alone of all the first years, and possibly even some of the upper years as well, knew what an angry Remus Lupin could do. It was only slightly better than what an angry Sirius Black could and would do.

"We warned you at the feast, idiot. And still you jeered at him, robbing him of a peaceful sleep and finally rousing him far before it was time to get up and then rushing him out the door half asleep at a time when you were fairly sure there wouldn't be anyone up to escort him to breakfast, adding to the illusion that either no-one cared or he was late. In doing so, you ignored what we told you and thus brought your current state upon yourself. Those bubbles and the stinksap cannot be removed except by the one who cast the spell, and I'm _not_ feeling very merciful at the moment," Remus lectured, his voice a low growl and sparks of green fire flickering in the haze of his magic. It wasn't very commonly known, but when a wizard is exceptionally powerful, and his emotions are running high, his magic would pick up on it and create the right atmosphere to express those emotions. Anger, especially in the Lupin line, generally had a heavy, oppressive feeling with the occasional spark, hence what happened in the Ravenclaw common room that morning. Such events also happen with witches, but theirs is often suppressed and only comes out when they snap. Regulus shook his head and grabbed Remus' arm.

"You've done your job, for now. Lets just get some food and get on with our day. I promise, I won't try to get into trouble." Remus gave him a Look. "Okay, as little trouble as I can for the first few weeks. Just until the whispers die down a bit," Regulus amended. Remus shook his head, but calmed down and pushed him toward the portrait hole.

"You're sitting with Sirius for breakfast, then James for lunch, and Peter for diner, if nothing comes up," he said. Regulus turned around and gave him a confused look.

"Why..."

"Sirius wanted to make sure you were alright, and I don't want to have him glaring at our table all during lunch after I tell him about this, James can help you with anything you don't understand from your first transfiguration class, and Peter just wanted to be included. Before you ask, we decided this before we even got on the train," Remus said, cutting him off. Regulus rolled his eyes, but said nothing as they walked.

/*/

Sirius was watching the door like a hawk. He had been the first to the table and had watched the door ever since. Each student who entered was scrutinized and unnerved by his sharp gray eyes and quickly made their way to their seats. Then, finally, his brother and Remus came in and made a beeline for him. He stood expectantly and Regulus rolled his eyes at him while Remus looked a bit grimmer than usual. "What happened," Sirius asked in a clipped tone.

"First year boys were picking on Reggie. I got revenge. End of story," Remus answered. Regulus rolled his eyes again.

"He sprayed them with pink bubbles that apparently burst into stinksap when you try to remove them. Then they said they hadn't thought he'd act on the first day and sparks started to form around Remus. I managed to get him out of there, but the damage is done," he said. Sirius nodded.

"Good work, soldier. Keep it up," he said to Remus, who saluted.

"Sir yes sir!" the werewolf said. Regulus groaned as he sank onto the bench.

"Can't we just eat? I want pancakes with strawberry syrup and cream cheese!" he said. Remus gave him a look that clearly said 'are you for real?' before Sirius pushed him down on Regulus' left side.

"A marvelous idea, Regulus! Let us partake of the most glorious of breakfasty foods!" Remus sent a look to James and Peter who were standing in the doorway, the look on his face a clear plea for help. The two closed their eyes and shook their heads. They could not save him from the strangeness and mild insanity that was Sirius Black. Then someone had the horrible sense to insult Regulus. Both brothers looked at each other, then Regulus shook his head, grabbed his plate of pancakes, and scooted back on the bench before continuing to eat. Remus, having known Sirius long enough to know taking cues from his younger brother wasn't all that bad an idea when things like this happened, picked up his cereal and leaned back as well.

"That poor fool won't be able to do anything properly for at least a week," Regulus said conversationally to Remus, popping a piece of pancake and a small glob of cream cheese into his mouth. Remus nodded solemnly.

"I quite agree. Poor, poor, idiot." They regarded the sinister look on Sirius' face with a sort of detached curiosity that was of course faked and practiced in front of a mirror for times such as these. "Perhaps we should move a bit further? He seems in fine form this morning," Remus added, panicking slightly on the inside. Regulus was right there with him.

"Oh yes, my good man. Perhaps the Hufflepuffs wouldn't mind two more for breakfast?" Remus nodded, already moving. Sirius waited for them to sit, backwards of course, before allowing a smile to cross his face. He had perfected his Evil Snake look long ago and by now everyone knew to fear it. Except for this idiot, but he had a feeling that he wasn't going to like what came next. Laughing his patented Evil Snake laugh, Sirius tossed multiple hexs and jinxs at the boy. By the time Sirius was done, nearly ten minutes after he began, the poor boy had a flock of bat-boogys circling him, several lion cubs swiping at him if he dared to move, slugs pouring out his mouth, boils in every sickly and disgusting color under the sky all over his body, looked like he had been stung by a hive of angry bees, and was almost completely bald. Sirius twirled his wand around his fingers, still grinning his evil grin.

"_Never_. Insult. A brother. In. Front. Of. _ME_," he hissed, flicking his wand into the air before catching it and leveling it at the moaning lump in front of him. Whistles filled the air from those who had witnessed Sirius' revenge. Regulus shivered, then gave a mirthless chuckle.

"Mum would have approved," he said tonelessly. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"I might not like the direction that woman would take the House of Black, but she is my mother, and I am a Black. We take insults personally... and dish out lessons accordingly and with our own flare," he said. Regulus snorted.

"Flare for the dramatic you mean," he said as he sauntered over. Crouching down, he examined one of the cubs. It noticed him, and rolled over for a belly rub. He chuckled. "Nice work on these, though their a bit too much like a house cat," he said. Sirius smiled fondly at his brother.

"I could..."

"Don't even think about it. Can you imagine what McGonagall would do to us if I had a lion cub you conjured living in my dorm room?" Regulus said, cutting his brother off. Sirius paused and thought... then shivered with a look of terror as he pictured exactly what the strict professor would do.

"While I am pleased with your transfiguration work, Mr. Black, I must insist that you dispel it before any more harm comes to my student," the transfiguration professor said from behind the shivering youth.

"Yes ma'am!" he snapped, quickly undoing his transfigurations before picking the idiot up. "I'll take him to the infirmary now shall I? Would you like one of the prefects to come along as well to make sure I don't kill the dolt along the way?" he added. McGonagal shook her head.

"For once in my life, I'll trust you. Now, get going before I regret my actions." As she turned to leave, Regulus darted forward.

"Professor," he called, "I'd like to go with him, since it was partially my fault. Besides, he's my brother and right now... he needs me," he finished when McGonagal turned back. She smiled faintly, then waved her hand. "Thank you, Professor," Regulus said with a small bow before helping Sirius haul the moaning boy out of the hall.

/*/

Madam Pomfery was not well pleased with the third year Slytherin in front of her. "He insulted Reggie, ma'am," Sirius said. "And I'm not sorry," he added at the Healer's disapproving look. Regulus sighed and stepped in front of his rather idiotic brother.

"There was a warning issued, and a relatively harmless prank pulled this morning in Ravenclaw, but he," here the little Ravenclaw pointed at the first year Slytherin, "insulted me anyway. Sirius simply reacted the way he's programmed to. Swiftly and with style, even if the 'style' could be argued. If it had been Sirius getting insulted, I likely would have done the same. Though, I'd keep an eye on Sirius. Knowing him, he'll pile 'pranks' on the guy until he double checks everything, never goes around a corner without checking in a mirror, never trusts anyone who smiles too widely, and curses anything that moves in his peripheral vision." Sirius sighed, slumping slightly.

"Am I that bad?" he asked. Regulus simply gave him a look. "Fine, so I am that bad. But only when someone insults my family or friends. And besides, James, Peter, Remus, and possibly Severus and Marlene would do things mostly the same," Sirius said. Pomfery shook her head and shooed the boys out. They were only too happy to leave.

"So... Madam Pomfery didn't tie you down to check your head?" came the soft, sibilant voice of Severus Snape. Sirius grinned at the other boy.

"Nope!" he said brightly. Severus shook his head and looked to Regulus.

"Oh yes, he's always been this way," the younger Black answered the unasked question with a resigned look.

"It's funny, I always thought you were more of a Gryffindor," Sirius suddenly piped up as he and Severus walked Regulus to his first class of the day. The little Ravenclaw had protested at first, then relented when he considered that it was his brother he was arguing with. Sirius never gave into his arguments.

"Oh?" Regulus said, pretending interest while really hoping no-one would think him a spy.

"You were willing to be different, to not be a Slytherin. The Hat could have easily put you in Gryffindor," Sirius continued. If he noticed how Regulus was slowing, he didn't show it. "Then there was the fact that you had it in you to go after a piece of the Dark Hypocrite's soul when you knew you would die. That was pretty brave," Sirius continued. He had told Regulus a bit about his past-future when he had found The List one day, several years back. Severus was curious, it was the second time Sirius had said something like that, but he held his tongue for the time being. He wanted to know what came next.

"I'm not," came the quite voice of the younger Black. Sirius sighed.

"What is bravery, Regulus?" he asked.

"Not being afraid," came the immediate response. Sirius gave a mirthless chuckle.

"No. That is being fearless. Fearlessness is stupid. Makes you reckless. I was reckless. What makes someone brave, Regulus? What makes a hero?"

"Someone who fights for those who can't fight for themselves is a hero."

"Sure, but what is bravery?"

"... What you've done." Sirius sighed, stopped and grabbed his brother tightly by the shoulders.

"Bravery is doing what is right over what is easy. Bravery is doing something you are afraid of but need to do. Sending a love letter, staying in the same room as a creepy bug, helping someone who doesn't like you, desperately fighting even when you feel like you're going to hurl... doing something despite your fear. That is bravery. What I've done... I'd say it's selfishness, wanting to save everyone, but others would say I'm brave," he said, hoping to get his point across.

"So, being brave is just knowing there's something more important than your fear, and pushing past that to do what needs to be done?" Regulus said, looking up into the scarred face of his brother. Sirius smiled kindly at him and looped an arm around his neck.

"Just so, my little Eaglet," he said. James was waiting outside the classroom when they got there. The other two third years exchanged looks and James walked off with a nod. Regulus allowed himself a small smile. So this was what it was like having friends. The rest of the day went smoothly for Regulus after that. He almost got lost a few times, but one of the Marauders or their friends would pop up and show him the way. Some of them skipped to do this, but Regulus knew arguing with them wouldn't help a thing, so he let them do it. Besides, it helped all the other first year 'Claws as well, giving Regulus a slightly better reputation in his House.

/*/

The next day, there was a plate of pastries in the common room. Regulus groaned, glaring at the dish. "Morning!" Remus said pleasantly, picking one up. Regulus gave him a rather blank look as the rest of Ravenclaw began filtering in. Shaking his head, he left before anyone did something stupid. He was the first Ravenclaw to arrive in the Great Hall and spotted his brother, grinning like a loon and talking to the other Slytherins at the table, forcing them to answer. They all sounded like they were American kids from The Hood. Regulus groaned.

"What doth mine ears perceive? Why doth the Raven groan so early in the morn?" James asked. Regulus glared at him.

"You're all morons, eating your own pranked food," he said. Severus came up to him, a dark glint in his eye.

"Yo, Fo! How ya doin'?" he asked. Regulus looked at him, blinked, then bashed his head into the table. Hard. Very hard.

"I'm surrounded by idiots," he intoned, forehead still smashed against the table. Sirius snickered.

"Bro, you be da Drama King!" he said. Regulus rolled his head onto its side and glared.

"Go drown in your cornflakes," he snapped before snapping upright, snagging three pancakes, drizzling strawberry syrup on them, then scooping up a few generous dollops of cream cheese and closing his eyes to savor the taste of his breakfast delicacy. Those gathered around blinked at the rapid change, then shook their heads. This was a Black they were talking about. He may _act_ sane, but he was just as crazy as the rest of them.

"Dude, you ga dissed!" Severus said, a casual observer missing the amusement his new-found friends caught. James nodded.

"Our brother in arms hath received a slight indeed, my dear friend. It is made so much worse that it was delivered by our youngest member," he said solemnly. Regulus' lips twisted in distaste.

"Go. Away," he said around a bite of strawberry syrup coated pancake. Remus shook his head.

"Sirius, he Siriusly means it."

"Da't only works in writ'in' bro!" Sirius said, looking offended.

"Indeed dear Eagle, that pun was so bad, it t'was not a pun at all!" James agreed. Remus scowled at him.

"You try talking in puns, James. It's hard," he said. James rolled his eyes and Regulus vanished in the chaos the trio devolved into. The prank only lasted until lunch, which was when the potions professor developed the antidotes for the potions that drove the prank and put them into the pumpkin juice. There was much rejoicing. From there out, Regulus focused on his studies, the Marauders only pulled a prank every two or three weeks, and life was fairly normal at Hogwarts aside from the odd black letter that showed up. By this point, several families had taken it upon themselves to make sure the children left behind were taken care of, but people were still scared their family would be next. It was two and a half weeks before Christmas when Sirius came upon something troubling. His brother was becoming loyal to Dumbledore. Sirius himself was as well, to a lesser degree, and it was always stronger after he had eaten at another House's table. That was when he decided to check James' food for potions. Why James? Because he was the next person on his List of People to have Food With.

/*/

It had been such a nice day, James thought morosely as Sirius pulled out his wand at lunch. "What are you doing, or do I not want to know?" he asked, fearing the answer. Sirius Black with a drawn wand almost always heralded trouble, in one form or another.

"I came to sit with my best friend and check his food for potions because he's not himself around a certain flame haired Gryffindor girl, a certain Miss Evans," he said, giving his friend a half-truth. The truth was his intention, the lie was his reason. James gave him a look that said he thought the other boy to be mad, but pushed his food over toward him. He had been right. He hadn't really wanted to know.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," he said. Sirius couldn't bring himself to grin. However much he hoped it wasn't so, potions in the food was a distinct possibility. Sirius waved his wand over the food, the plate, and the goblet then waited with bated breath. The result came back and... he hissed like an angry snake.

"Albus Stinking Dumbledore, the Greatest _Meddler_ the World has Ever Know," he growled, glaring up at the head table. Dumbledore, seeming to feel the massive amount of killing intent along with the burning glare Sirius was directing his way, turned then froze as it hit him full blast.

_'Now what could I have done to make him look at me with such hatred?'_ the man wondered. James was thinking rather the same thing. Silently, Sirius handed over several potions.

"Antidotes for the potions I found in your food. Loyalty, love, and compulsion," he said at James' questioning look.

"Wait, are you saying that Dumbledore has been... modifying... my behavior through _potions _in my _food?!_" James asked. Sirius snorted.

"No. I'm saying he's been _manipulating_ your _personality_ through potions. Compulsion, probably so you're extremely prejudiced; loyalty, towards him no doubt; and love for Evans, and quite a strong dose might I add. It's like he wants you so madly in love with her that your obsessiveness drives her away since you act like a creep. I think I'll go check her food now too, see how the old goat is trying to control her life as well," he bit out. James stared at Sirius as if he had never seen him before. With a glare, Sirius ordered James to drink the potions he had given him and then breezed down the table to Lily. "Terribly sorry, Madam, but I just discovered that a Mr. James Potter has been dosed with a love potion, keyed to you. I'd like to check your food and drink to see if any other potions are being employed in Gryffindor House." Lily looked at him in shock. One of _Potter's_ gang was talking to her? Politely? She nodded and, with a grim smile, Sirius repeated his performance of waving, hissing, growling, and shoving potions into hands. He had found loyalty, compulsion, and agitation potions in her food and pumpkin juice. He hadn't known agitation potions even existed, but if anyone was being fed one, it was Lily. The next day, Sirius brought Lily and James food and drink from his table, then checked them once the pair had touched the plate and goblet. Both were in the clear. Sirius saluted and sauntered over to Remus where he checked his food as well. With a snarl, Sirius promised Remus antidotes to the potions found in his food as well. At lunch, Sirius had several antidotes and Severus looking at him as though he were crazier than ever. That time it was Peter who was subjected to the potions search. Remus and Peter were both given antidotes. Sirius combated the potions for a week before Dumbledore seemed to give up. It was a rather irritated silver haired headmaster who watched James help the others with their transfiguration and speak civilly to the Slytherins. Slowly, the rest of the students started checking their food and there was an outcry as the potion scandal was discovered. Many people who would have turned to Voldemort for power or recognition were saved from that by the school coming together as blind obedience and loyalty to Dumbledore or their House was washed away along with reenforced prejudices. Though, some of it might have been rebelling against the man who had drugged them into hatred. No-one was quite sure what it was, but none could argue with the end result. No-one liked not being in control of their own actions. Slytherins especially. Albus was wary of malicious potions and spells, especially at meal times, after that. He knew what slighted Slytherins could do. Sirius Black had given him a _very_ good example with that First Year he... attacked... in defense of his brother. No-one wanted to be on the other end of any Black's wand.

/*/

James looked at his Slytherdor best friend. "You started a revolution that day Sirius. How did you know about the potions?" he asked. Sirius sighed.

"I didn't. I simply had a hunch," he answered, entirely truthful. He hadn't known Dumbledore had drugged the school, and he still wasn't sure how either. It had all been a guess. That and he had seen how his friends had seemed strained, even though he acted almost exactly like he had the first time around. Peter shook his head.

"I don't know about anyone else, but I feel like I've actually gotten smarter since Sirius discovered the potions," he said. Sirius chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck.

"You had it in you all along, Peter. The potions just made you to afraid to show your true potential. And besides, it was Professor Slughorn who provided the antidotes after I told him my parents had been trying to influence me," he said. James was a bit shocked.

"He just gave you the potions?" Sirius gave him a very hard look.

"My mother is practically a Dark Empress, I wouldn't be surprised if she had my father on will-sapping potion like Dumbledore had Peter, and I'm fairly sure dear old mother has crucioed our House Elf into insanity with how he worships her. If you had met my mother, or even paid attention to the reputation my family _still_ has despite my best efforts at turning my father to the Light, you'd know it is a very believable tale, James. I fear my family's reputation shall be as dark as it's name until I come of age and can actually do something about it. Everyone decent in the House of Black has been disowned and blasted off the Family Tapestry! That's why you don't see as many Blacks as you used to. All the decent men got blasted and all the women either married other pure-bloods or married a decent chap and got blasted as well. We're killing ourselves, James. Slughorn knows it and, despite what you seem to think, is a decent sort of man, though he does have a rather obsessive love of networking and gaining connections. He wouldn't want to be influenced by the likes of my mother, plus he said her potion's skill was rather poor and that he would never wish for someone to be subjected to the horrid concoctions she cooked up," he said. James shook his head.

"Well, I'm glad you got them. I... didn't really like how I was acting. I just... didn't know why or how to stop," he said. Sirius clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"You are my best friend, James. I know you weren't yourself, and your love of pranks is totally your own. Though, I shudder to think what you'd be without me," he said, ending with a grin. James looked at his friend, shocked at the depth the eleven and a half year old's voice had reached, as well as how true the words sounded. Remus gave the young Black a searching look while Peter recovered swiftly from his shock.

"He's right about one thing at least. You guys are the best thing that's happened to me, so far. In fact, you and Remus, James, have only been building on what Sirius did for me," he said. Remus and James turned to the fourth member of their band in surprise, then to Sirius.

"Ya know... I feel the same," James said, a contemplative look on his fair face. Sirius looked uncomfortable.

"Why would you say that?" he asked, hoping to hedge their almost questions.

"Because, Sirius, when I met you I was a lonely little prankster who didn't want to share the spotlight," James said, as if it proved everything. Sirius shook his head.

"And I was even more of a coward. Worse, I was a _scared_ coward. The kind of coward who would sell out his own mother if it meant he came out alive and mostly unharmed," Peter said, sounding the strongest and bravest Sirius had ever known the mousy-haired boy to be. He was stumped. Remus shook his head.

"You were the first person outside professor Dumbledore to ever consider being my friend, Sirius. The first person my parents accepted. And not only that, but you brought me two other friends who have brought me more joy than I could have even dreamed of. Seriously, Sirius, what the heck is with you?" Remus said, giving the Black heir a searching look. Sirius sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I was expecting this conversation to come in the middle of fourth year, at the earliest, not the end of third. Man, you guys are far better than I thought. You especially Pete. Your assessment was spot on, though I don't suppose I really have to tell you that. And _you_, Mr. I-think-it's-cool-to-look-like-I-just-got-off-a-broom! Don't think I've forgotten about _you_! 'A lonely little prankster who didn't want to share the spotlight' indeed! It wasn't just the spotlight you enjoyed, it was seeing yourself above others, don't deny it! I've seen it, far too many times. Also... I was the worst of us all. It was that brush with death I had when I was four that made me the... young man that I am today," he said, still gripping his hair and looking wry. His friends all tilted their heads to the right and lifted an eyebrow at the same time. It would have been quite amusing, if Sirius weren't having a nervous breakdown.

"Sirius... ?" they asked, again as one. That did make Sirius laugh, albeit it a slightly hysterical laugh, but he laughed.

"Honestly! How did you all arrive at this _now_? What have I done to make you question me like this? What possibly made you think, 'wait, Sirius isn't being honest' or, 'wait, Sirius is acting like a mastermind' or, 'wait, Sirius knows too much' or, 'wait, Sirius changed me and it was far too much to be an accident?' GAH!" he ranted, now starting to tear at his hair. Remus, James, and Peter all shared a look, then nodded and slapped the other boy hard. "Thanks. I've just been stressed is all," Sirius said, once he had gotten over the abrupt pain.

"How did you know about my... condition?" Remus asked. Sirius sighed.

"Come over to my house for Christmas. I only want to tell this story once," he said, ending the conversation. Even as he dreaded telling his tale, he counted the year well spent.

/?/

A/N: and there you have it. Regulus' first year, Sirius' third, and the set up for The Reveal, coming soon to a chapter near you!

Proverbs 4:24

"Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips."


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I'm sorry about the mix-up! I didn't notice until someone PM'd me that I had used the chapter 8 of my KHR fic. Anyway, here's the real chapter.

**Chapter 8:** Secrets Told

Regulus understood that his brother was nervous, but even that did not excuse everything. "Oh shut up you great baby," the younger brother moaned as his brother began wailing as realization of what, exactly, he was about to do came to him. Regulus let Sirius agonize for a few more minutes before rolling out of his nice warm bed, blearily tugging on a Ravenclaw blue house robe, stomping across the hall, throwing open the door with as much force as he could, and 'encouraging' his brother, who was rolling around on his bed in distress, to kiss the floor. "It's four in the Salazar forsaken morning, Sirius. Have your painful epiphanies later, some of us are trying to sleep Merlin take it all!" Regulus groused, glaring through half lidded eyes at his beloved older brother, who was currently looking up at him in astonishment.

"You tipped me out of bed," the elder brother breathed, still shocked. Regulus snorted.

"I'll do more than that if you don't pipe down, oh brother mine," he snarled before turning sharply and reentering his own room. That four poster, green canopied bed sure did looked warm, comfortable, and inviting, and Regulus was determined to enjoy it for a few more hours. Sirius was left staring at the door his little brother had just departed through.

"I don't think that kid's really eleven," he muttered to himself as he stood back up, only to flop down on his own warm and comfortable bed. Thinking about his brother's reaction to being woken up so early, Sirius stared at his ceiling. Suddenly, a chill ran down his back as the more ancient part of his soul came up with the answer to his thoughts, at least concerning his brother. It was a very, _very_, bad idea to wake Regulus Arctucus Black before at least six in the morning. Whatever amusement might be gained was far outweighed by the painful consequences. And so, Regulus was left alone... until six when Sirius began to speak. "What if they don't believe me? What if they hate me? Snape already does, or does he? What if they attack? What if they don't understand? What if it all goes wrong and it's my fault and the house falls in on us and we all die and they see me? What form would I take in death? What if they think I'm mad? They already do but what if it gets worse because of this? How will Reg take this? Or Pete? Some things are best left unsaid. But I promised! Oh, I hope nothing goes wrong. What if they don't believe me?" Regulus groaned as Sirius repeated it for the fifth time and decided he would go wait for their guests down stairs. It wasn't like he was going to get any sleep with Sirius being so stressed out he was repeating himself over and over while likely pacing around and around. After getting dressed, Regulus decided it would likely be prudent to remind Sirius he should get dressed. The elder Black had already discovered what would happen should he embarrass his little brother. Regulus still grinned when he thought of the retribution he had wrought upon his brother the first and only time he had embarrassed him. The look scared the living daylights out of Sirius, so he quickly left his ramblings to get dressed, and then toned his rambling down to a mutter instead of a tirade. He didn't want to give Regulus any more reason to... 'retaliate' as it were. He shivered, never breaking stride, as he considered Regulus' retaliation. Yes, best not give a reason for _that._

_/*/_

Severus was anxious. What would Sirius tell them? He paused on his way to the fireplace. Exactly when had he started thinking of Black as Sirius and not... well... Black? He didn't know. And at the moment, as he resumed his journey to the Floo pot, he didn't really care. He was about to be let in on a secret, and not just any secret at that. The Secret of Sirius Orion Black. It was a momentous occasion and he would not allow any other thoughts, not even of his summer homework, to distract him from this most glorious discovery. And if it could help with his Charms assignment well, all the better. Wasn't Lily good in Charms? If this didn't help then... No! Focus! Sirius' secret! It would finally be revealed! Oh, glorious day of bestowed knowledge! Hum. Maybe he should lay off the poetry for a bit. This was getting out of hand. As the grates swirled and burned before him, Severus forced his mind to think only of the upcoming revelations... and to not slip into melodramatic, and horribly unpoetical, rambling. He was met at the grate by Regulus, who seemed rather nervous and possibly a little anxious as well. "Regulus," Severus greeted, taking in the ruffled black hair that was still tidier than Sirius', along with the the fine features and cool silver-gray eyes that all the Blacks seemed to have. Regulus was about five feet six inches tall, the gangly look of childhood still clinging to him, and the slight build of a seeker.

"Severus," Regulus acknowledged, dipping his head slightly. Severus suppressed a shudder at the eerily Sirius-like smirk on the boy's face.

"Coming to see the secret unveiled?" Severus inquired.

"Wouldn't miss it," Regulus grinned, excitement entering his steel colored eyes. Miss seeing everyone's reactions when Sirius told them what he knew? Never! Severus nodded and Regulus showed him to Sirius' room. Severus quickly took a seat as Regulus returned to the Floo. Sirius was already there and pacing. He didn't seem to notice Severus as he continued to pace and mutter.

"What if they don't believe me? What if they hate me? Snape already does, or does he? What if they attack? What if they don't understand? What if it all goes wrong and it's my fault and the house falls in on us and we all die and they see me? What form would I take in death? What if they think I'm mad? They already do but what if it gets worse because of this? How will Reg take this? Or Pete? Some things are best left unsaid. But I promised! Oh, I hope nothing goes wrong. What if they don't believe me?" the Black Heir muttered, repeating the same things over and over, clearly stressed. Severus shook his head and waited as patiently as he could.

/*/

Peter wasn't sure what to expect, but he was expectant. Regulus met him at the grate and lead him to Sirius' room where the object of almost everyone's speculation was striding back and forth, muttering. "Thank Merlin you're here," Severus sighed as Peter took a seat beside him, "the boy's been pacing and muttering and repeating himself for at least half an hour now." Peter shook his head.

"Have you ever told someone a secret, Severus? A secret you guarded close? A secret you have kept from everyone, even your parents and sibling? A secret that might change your life if someone were to know? I think that's what Sirius is going to do today. He's certainly worked up enough," the Hufflepuff said. Severus gave him an appraising look. There was more to him than met the eye, Severus was sure. Though he stood by what he had said at Christmas back in first year. Not even a whole summer with Sirius could help the boy with cunning and originality. After two more minutes of Sirius pacing and repeating the same questions, Peter gave an irritated sigh. "Stop pacing or you'll wear a hole in the floor! If you're really worried, sit down and make plans for what is most likely to go wrong with all this instead of worrying yourself half to death! Honestly, you're making _me_ tired just watching you, and I've only been here a minute! Poor Severus here has been in the room for what feels to him like at least half an hour. I can only imagine how close to strangling you he is. So please, for our sake as much as yours, shut up and sit down," he suddenly said, causing Sirius to jump slightly.

"Ah, Peter. When did you get here?" he said. Peter, Severus, Regulus, Lily, and James, the last two having just reached the door when Peter had his outburst, stared at Sirius as though he had taken leave of his senses.

"Ah, Sirius? Severus arrived forty-five minutes ago, Peter got here ten minutes ago, and James and Lily pretty much just got here. Also, you've been repeating yourself, pacing, since six o'clock this morning. Peter's outburst was perfectly reasonable," Regulus said, James nodding behind him.

"What's up mate? You look as tightly wound as a wire in a Muggle toy," he said. Sirius sighed, running his hand through his hair.

"I'm about to tell one of the biggest, most closely guarded secrets in the world and you expect me not to worry? What I'm about to tell you is... dangerous. Especially in the wrong hands. I... everything could go wrong and then the deaths of millions would be on my hands, whether I personally end them or not," he said, looking into James' eyes with such intensity that the Potter Heir nearly backed away, but the sorrow and, dare he say it, love in those eyes stopped him.

"Okay, but please, just sit down. Remus should be here soon and then you can stop worrying and start talking," James said, hoping his words would get Sirius to stop looking at him like that. It was slightly creepy. With a heavy sigh, Sirius sat down and stared at the door. Regulus sat down as well. When Severus turned a confused look on the younger boy, Regulus told him that Orion had taken over greeting the visitors. Sirius growled mentally. He had a feeling his father was hoping that the next one through would be another Gryffindor so he could go off on them. James shrugged and Regulus left to get a chess board.

/*/

Regulus was almost relieved when Remus came bounding in after fives games with Peter, who lost rather spectacularly in only five minutes and winning some form of respect in Sirius' eyes for managing such a feat, and four games against Severus then one against James and Severus. He was getting tired of schooling people at least two years older than him at chess.

"Sorry it took so long, your dad and mine had a bit of a fuss, but it's all sorted now," Remus said as he entered the room, just as eager to learn Sirius' secret as the other. As the werewolf took a seat, Sirius sighed and wearily stood. Waving and swooshing and flicking his wand in complicated patterns, Sirius put up privacy wards around his room, covering the entire space so absolutely nothing could leave it, or enter it.

"Alright, so, I suppose it's time. I doubt I could keep it from all of you much longer anyway," Sirius began, wondering just how he was going to tell these important people something so dangerous and complicated and insane, even for magic. "Well, you see, the thing is... my soul got sent back in time from a very different time-line," he began, but was forced to stop as his friends displayed their disbelief.

"You traveled through _time?!_ How old are you? Who are you? What do you know!?" James asked, shooting out of his chair and leveling an accusing finger at the rather down trodden feeling Sirius.

"Yes. Physically, thirteen and a bit over a half; mentally, roughly a hundred and fifty-three or so. I am Sirius Orion Black, also known as Padfoot, Snuffles, and 'that mangy mutt.' I know a lot, and I'm going to share some of it with you today, but not all. I can't exactly tell you _everything_ I know nor can I teach you what I know, but I can tell you some things," Sirius answered. James opened his mouth again, only for Remus to shove a chocolate bar in it.

"Shut up, sit down, and let's hear what Sirius has to say alright?" the werewolf said, glowering slightly at his friend. James didn't appear too happy, but sat back in his chair and nommed on his chocolate. Chocolate didn't solve everything, but it sure helped a lot. Nodding to Remus with a relived smile, Sirius began again.

"Thank you, Remus. Now, I suppose I should start with the differences in each of you. James and Peter already know how much of a change I've been to them so I'll skip over that. Lily... was about the same. Severus... wait. I should really start with the biggest difference. In my first life, all four Marauders were Gryffindors, James and I were the most immature pair of hellions you ever clapped eyes on. Remus had a certain spark to him; he'd be quite and studious one minute and then the next he'd be dashing down the halls laughing his head off with me, James, and Peter. Peter was a lackey in every sense of the word, even after Hogwarts. Severus, you were our favorite target. James took a certain sadistic glee in tormenting you, abusing you, humiliating you. And all while trying to steal the heart of the girl you were growing to love." Lily looked a bit confused there, but said nothing. "I did nothing to stop it. In fact, I egged the selfish prat on. Remus usually stayed out of our bullying," here Lily shot the werewolf a pleased smile, "but then he never tried to stop it either, which is just as bad. And then, after we graduated, we jumped straight into the war that had broken out in second year. Severus joined the Dark Lord. Me and the Marauders plus Lily, who married James, joined Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix. It was a long, hard war that was mostly reflexive. Now that I look back, it is maddening how we said we were fighting when really we were just trying to do damage control. Then, one day, a prophesy was made, a prophesy predicting the birth of the Chosen One, a wizard with the power to defeat the Dark Lord. There were two boys who fit the requirements. Neville Longbottom and Harry Potter. Voldemort went after Harry, my Godson. James' precious little boy. James and Lily, two of my best friends, went into hiding with their son, but it wasn't enough. Not even the Fidelus Charm could save them, because of a stupid mistake I made. I told them I was too obvious a choice. Told them to switch to someone no-one would suspect. I told them to use Peter. I steered them wrong. Peter betrayed them, leading the Dark Lord right to them. I had gone to check on him that day and when I found his safe house empty, I rushed to Godric's Hollow. The house was destroyed, James and Lily dead, and Harry left exposed right next to his dead mother and the smoking remains of the Darkest Wizard of the century," Sirius related, finding that once he started, he couldn't stop. He paused for a moment to get himself under control, but his audience was enthralled, if a little disgusted. If this was just the beginning, how much worse had Sirius had it? After a few bracing breaths, Sirius began again. "Hagrid came as I was removing Harry from the house, told me Dumbledore had ordered him to collect Harry. I tried to fight him, but he kept repeating he had Dumbledore's orders. I relented, and let him use a muggle motorbike I had charmed to fly. After I had seen Hagrid vanish into the night, I went rat hunting. Wormtail, Peter, was trying to get out of the country. I couldn't let the vile betrayer go, so I cornered him. That was when things really went pear shaped. He shouted that I had betrayed James and Lily, then blew up the street, killing at least a dozen muggles, then transformed into his rat animagus form and fled into the sewers. I broke down in hysterics, laughing and saying I had killed Lily and James. I was arrested and thrown in Azkaban without so much as a by your leave. It would be twelve long years before I saw the sun again. Only the thought that I was innocent kept me sane, though thinking of Harry and shifting into my animagus form, a large black dog, didn't hurt either. Then, I got a newspaper off the current Minster of Magic and saw something that filled me with manic energy. I saw Wormtail siting on the shoulder of my Harry's dorm mate. I had to get out. I had to get that rat and save my godson. I broke out not long after that."

"Wait, you and Peter were Animagi in your first life? Who else and who knew? Don't start at the very beginning and then jump to the very middle!" James burst out. Sirius sighed.

"Right. Well, that all started in Third Year in my first life. Remus... I need your permission to tell this part," he said. Remus paled, the implications of that need all too clear to him.

"All of you knew?" he asked. Sirius gave him 'The Look.'

"We were your roommates, Moony. It wasn't that hard to figure out. Plus, eventually, you trusted us enough to tell and none of us turned against you... aside from Wormtail. Wormtail betrayed everyone. Well, anyway, will you tell? Or will this be a very awkward, half-baked explanation that will be left half undone until when you originally told us?" he asked. Remus sighed. "While you're thinking over that, why don't we take a break and have some food?" Sirius asked, wanting to rest his voice at the very least. A very thoughtful look Remus nodded mutely and the others sighed, but took pity on their friend and agreed to the break.

/*/

Half an hour later, Remus looked at Sirius over the rim of his pumpkin juice and gave a tiny, nearly imperceptible, nod. Sirius nodded as well. "Alright everyone, Remus is going to start the story up again," he said. All eyes turned to the rather nervous werewolf, who was about to tell his own deepest, darkest secret. Still, he couldn't bring himself to resent Sirius. The other boy had respected his privacy and requested permission instead of just saying it after all. With one last sigh, Remus spoke.

"From what Sirius is saying, I would assume you, the Marauders, found out that... that... that I'm... a... a werewolf," he said, then stopped and hunched in on himself, afraid of what they might do. Sirius nodded, silently offering his support, while James' eyes bugged out. Severus looked half afraid, half intrigued, and Regulus was also torn between fear and curiosity. Peter just stared and Lily looked like she wanted to say something, but didn't. Remus took a deep breath when no-one jumped on him and continued. "And, it would seem that, after you found out, you each became Animagi, though I'm not sure why."

"To support you during the full moon. That's when I gave us all nick-names. Remus was Moony, because of his furry little problem, while James the Stag was Prongs, Peter the Rat was Wormtail because of his worm like tail, and Sirius the Dog was Padfoot. We had a lot of fun together. Like brothers we were, and thick as thieves. Me and Prongs were the main trouble makers while Moony would help keep us organized, I think he got a bit of a thrill out of it to be honest, and Peter... well. The potions hadn't been discovered and, well, he was a bit of a talentless tag-a-long, but every once in a while he'd have an idea for a prank. Hogwarts was the first place I could feel like myself, and the Marauders and the Potters were my family. I pushed Regulus away, which might have lead to his choice later in life. War broke out in second year, like you can see quite plainly now. But even with a war going on, we had fun. We crafted the Marauders' Map, a magical map of Hogwarts that showed where people were in real time and aided us in many a magical mishap. All the secret passages we knew of were there, every last bit of Hogwarts we had ever seen was mapped and enchanted to be as close to real time as possible. A true masterpiece it was, with a little bit of our fifteen year old personalities mixed in with our magic and the tiny bit of blood the ink required. Severus was the perfect Slytherin target, as I've said, but there was a bit more to it than perceived poor hygiene. James had a crush on Lily that got deeper almost every time they met. Now that I think on it, it must have been the potion that drove it to such extremes. But Severus had a true crush on the girl next door and hated James when he came in all wild and rebellious and troublesome. He was happy when Lily told the 'arrogant toerag' off. However, I was the one who ended up being the worst. It was sixth year and I was stressed. Severus had really grown to hate us all and was bugging me about where Remus went once a month. He asked how to freeze the Whomping Willow and I told him. I said, 'if you press the knot at the base of the tree, it'll freeze. Then, go down the tunnel under it's roots and you'll find out what the Marauders go every month.' It was the biggest mistake of my life. Severus froze the tree, went down the tunnel, and came face to face with a fully transformed werewolf. James saved Severus, and the potions master-in-training never forgave him. Yes, it's kind of strange that Severus would hate someone for saving him from a werewolf, but James was only just beginning to deflate his head at that point so it was probably the fact that Sevvy didn't want to owe 'Blessed Saint Potter' a thing. Whatever it was, that poor excuse for a prank hung over all our heads for the rest of our miserable lives. Once we graduated, Lily and James married and joined the Light while Severus was alone and joined the Dark. My own brother had joined the Dark, and I grew to hate him as well. I had run from my family home and been taken in by the Potters when I was sixteen. Then came that dreadful Halloween. October thirty-first, nineteen eighty-one. The night the Potters were murdered and my godson orphaned. Then November first, the day I failed my true family and was arrested. Twelve years in Azkaban I festered, then I saw the traitor, the rat. I changed into Padfoot and escaped, then found Harry in Surrey, where he had been living with his Aunt and Uncle. Petunia had turned bitter and angry, hating magic and all those who could wield it. While I had been in hell on earth, Harry had been in prison. Durskaban he called it, and a more fitting name you'd be hard pressed to find for that place. I scared Harry when he saw me. Thought I was the Grim he did. He had just blown up Vernon Dursley's sister and fled the house in a fit of anger when we met again that night, but he saw Padfoot and fell over, summoning the Knight Bus. I spent that whole year trying to avoid people and still capture Wormtail. Remus was working as that year's DADA teacher, since no teacher had been able to last more than a year due to a curse that had been placed upon the position. It was a hard year, and I was so sure Harry would hate me, would believe what everyone said about me. Well, everything that anyone but Severus said about my school days was the truth, but everything after October thirty-first, nineteen eighty-one was a lie, aside from my break out. Remus even believed I was guilty, and that hurt too. I... well... it was a different world, a different life. I died, near the end of Harry's fifth year, after two years on the run. I was still a criminal in the eyes of the Wizarding World. Things went down hill from there for Harry. After I had fallen through the veil in the Death Room of the Department of Mysteries, I found myself in a strange place. A pocket of mind space in Harry's head. And so I lived through him and watched his early life, watched his life when I hadn't been there for him. It was sickening, what his aunt and uncle had done to him. And then he went to Hogwarts and Severus transferred his hate for James onto Harry and made life as miserable for him as possible. Harry fought, and bleed, and lost, and gained, and died, and lived, and finally loved. When he died the second time, for real that time, he was watched over by his youngest grand-kids, who were already out of Hogwarts. That was when I finally allowed myself to realize something I had fought against for my entire life, and after life. I was a reckless fool and it cost me everything. All that time I had spent inside Harry matured me, made me grow up. And then I was sent back to right my wrongs, back to when I was four. And that is why I am the way I am. I lived through a war and a half, more heartache than anyone should, twelve years in Azkaban, two years a wanted man stuck in a prison that was my parents house, and then witnessed the night Lily died through the eyes of her son, fifteen years of hardship at the Dursley's, another whole war, the death of Harry's friends, the deaths of the last Marauders, the death of Severus, the death of my godson, the battle of Hogwarts which was one of the bloodiest in that whole war, the death of Voldemort, the funerals that Harry _forced_ himself to attend even though by that point I could feel his emotions and _know_ it was tearing at fresh wounds that would leave deep scars on his heart, Harry raising the only and most perfect little Moonlet in the world along with his own three children, his life as an Auror, and his retirement and eventual death. I have already lived two lives, one my own and one the life of my best mate's son. Forgive me if I seem a little old," he finished. Everyone who was listening was blown away. Then Severus broke the silence.

"I want to help you change our fates," he said. Remus nodded.

"It sounds like a future where no-one is truly happy," he said. Sirius nodded, refusing to speak after his rather lengthy narrative. Lily nodded.

"A lot of things suddenly make a lot more sense," she said while James clapped his hands.

"Well, you've already started on me, Peter, and Severus, who's next?" he asked. Sirius blinked, then laughed weakly, his throat still a bit sore. He pulled out the list he had made that first night back at Grimwald place. James looked over it and whistled, then passed it around. Once it had made its way around the room and was returned to Sirius, Peter piped up.

"I don't want to be that guy," he said, glaring at the parchment. Sirius laughed again, a bit stronger this time.

"You already aren't. You are much different than Wormtail. I'm hoping you'll have a different animagus form when the time comes. Anyway, now you guys know. I sure hope I don't have to modify your memories later," Sirius said, beginning to pace, biting at his nails. Remus shook his head, then turned to Regulus.

"Sickle for your thoughts?" he said, only half joking. Regulus looked at the werewolf, then sighed as he shook his head.

"I found out why Sirius did everything he could for me, and with me, after his Hypogriff accident, that my big brother isn't exactly who I have always thought he was, that I joined a hypocrite out of hurt and jealousy then found out about the hypocrisy of it all, went dark rebel, and then died alone in a cave filled with inferi while failing to do what I went there to do years ago. Now I know a lot more of the context of the war. How, exactly, should I be reacting to all of this?" he said. Remus looked like he had been slapped. Regulus sighed again and put a hand on the pouting youth's shoulder, though Remus would deny that he was pouting. "Remus, I think nothing less of you for being a werewolf. By all accounts you manage it well and care deeply about those around you. Not all werewolves are like you, yes, but you represent the best they have to offer. And if Severus is a half-blood... well, that would put me at the supposed magical level of a muggleborn. Pure-bloods aren't better than the others, just snobbier and with deeper pockets. Looking at how Sirius described his first life, I'm kinda ashamed to be classed a pure-blood," Regulus said, hoping to cheer the sandy haired youth up a bit. He received a rather emotional smile for his efforts.

"REGGIE!" squealed Sirius, launching himself at his baby brother. Oh yeah, and a rather emotional Sirius as well. Joy. "I'm so proud of you! You're growing up to be a wonderful young wizard! I'm so happy for you!" the time-dimension-traveler crowed, dancing around with his brother in his arms.

"Siri! Please... breathe..." Regulus choked out, barely able to breathe. Sirius gasped and stopped his 'glee dance of glee,' releasing his baby brother.

"Sorry, I'm just so happy that... well... you're not a total nutter or a fool. I don't want you to die young, brother," Sirius said. Regulus nodded, rubbing his ribs and trying to get as much air in his lungs as he could. James laughed at the brothers while Severus, Remus, Lily, and Peter just looked on in bewilderment. Was that really the Sirius Black that had seen and experienced... _that_? Their eyes were drawn to the parchment that proclaimed their once-upon-a-time fates and shuddered. How could Sirius still be so happy after all of that?

"Of course I won't die young! And you can't say I'm not a nutter. I was practically raised by _you_," Regulus said cuttingly, though there was a smile in his eyes. Sirius laughed and shook his head and the other thought to themselves,

_'Ah. That's why.'_ Really, it was rather amazing that Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, James Potter, Lily Evans, and Peter Pettigrew all had the same thought at the same time, but then again, this is Sirius Black they're thinking about. He's just awesome like that. After waving Severus, James, Lily, and Remus off, Sirius and Regulus rounded on Peter with matching gleams in their eyes. The mousy Hufflepuff was afraid, and rightly so. When the sheep are away, the wolves play, as the saying goes in the Black house.

/*/

Peter whimpered as he found yet _another_ Black male laying in wait. Honestly, it was as if they were trying to make sure at least one of them was with him at... wait. No! They wouldn't! Would they? Yes, Peter Pettigrew, who was notorious for being a bit dense and dim, had figured out the Blacks master plan in only two days. At least one of them was going to be around Peter the entire time he was at their house. Both of Sirius' grandfathers had come over just for the occasion! He swore they were laughing at him, the stinking Snakes. He felt a devious grin steal across his face. Well then, it was time to show them how a Badger handles a Snake, when they couldn't use magic or simply do as a natural badger would when threatened anyway. He ducked into the shadows and crouched as low as he could, creeping back toward the library, where he had just escaped from Pollux Black, whom he was fairly sure he had just seen in the sitting room he had been headed for. Seeing that the library was, indeed, empty he grinned and went back in, finding a window seat to sit and read in. However, Sirius soon found him and his peace was shattered as he was dragged off to prank the younger Black brother. Once the prank was sprung, Sirius high tailed it out of there. Peter wasn't fast enough and was caught by Regulus, who forced him to play with him as punishment. Once he got free of Regulus, he ran to the kitchens and found Arcturcus sitting at the table with a cup of tea. Grabbing an apple, Peter said he was going to sit outside and exited the room, stopping to listen when he was far enough away for his surprisingly light footsteps to have faded to listen for the tell-tale pop of apperation. Sure enough, the elder Black apperated away and Peter, grinning, made his way back to the library. He was able to use the library as a sanctuary for three more days until Sirius and Regulus figured out that it was his preferred hiding place. That was when he started using the east parlor. That lasted two days before he moved to the attic. Once that was discovered twice, Peter found a nice branch in the tree in the back to squirrel away on. However, even that was discovered. And so he rotated hiding places. Attic, east parlor, library, attic, tree, library, attic, library, parlor, attic, attic, tree, library, tree, tree, parlor he went, never keeping a steady pattern. The Blacks were rather pleased at first, though Sirius wished he could get the Hufflepuff to be a bit creative, such as with pranks, but he took what he got. Peter had definitely gotten craftier when it came to hiding from people. But then came when the Blacks, excluding Sirius and Regulus, began to wish they hadn't backed Peter into so much of a corner. That was when Sirius' and Regulus' influences began to show. Peter went back to an almost steady pattern. It was just random enough for no-one to get suspicious, but regular enough that people would check certain places before others. It was then that the pranks began. At first they were small things. Buckets of water over the door, trip wire water balloons, and other such low-level pranks. Then came the elaborate muggle style pranks such as opening the door and then having a complicated system set up with bells and whistles and water and sap and potions, because Potions could be practiced over the summer. Peter himself was rather pleased with himself. Not only was he dealing with the Snakes and their dastardly plan, he was completing his homework as well. He might not be able to do anything magical in his pranks, but he did think of ways to substitute spells for dyes, doohickeys, thingamajigs, and needlessly complicated and time-consuming contraptions.

/*/

When James, Remus, Lily and Severus met Sirius at the platform, they found a surprisingly different Peter. Sirius sat smugly as Severus shook his head. "Come on~! Say it~!" Sirius said in a sing-song voice. Severus sighed and said,

"Fine. I stand corrected. Spending Christmas with you _has_ given Peter some cunning. Though, that might be due to having you, your brother, your father, and both your grandfathers with him all the time." Sirius gloated for half the train ride back to Hogwarts. He only stopped when James declared it time for games. Peter groaned and Remus asked Regulus if there were any good hiding spots on the train while Lily wondered why he'd ask. The younger Black shook his head, smiling softly at them.

"Sirius knows all the ones I could tell you, having shown them to me, and I bet he knows even more. Sorry mates, you're stuck with us." Regulus later decided to take his chances and fled the 'games,' taking Remus, Peter, Lily, and Severus with him. One should never underestimate the horror that is James Potter and Sirius Black playing 'games.' Peter's skill at evading people was severely tested that train ride, and James and Remus gained a new respect for the boy. Who knew a simple playing card could be so useful, or a whoopee cushion for that matter. Neither thought to ask where the mousy haired Hufflepuff had found said whoopee cushion and simply assumed it was, at one time, Sirius'. They weren't exactly wrong, but Peter had swiped it from Regulus' room before he had left the house. Once they arrived at Hogwarts and the others left, Sirius dragged Peter away to get some prank ideas out of him. They came up with color changing charms attached to the benches so that when someone sat on it, they would find themselves charmed to their rival House's colors, such as Slytherin being charmed red and gold, Gryffindors being charmed silver and green, Hufflepuffs being blue and bronze, and Ravenclaws being yellow and black. Potions, charms, transfiguration, jinxes, hexes, curses, and even a little arithmancy were put to use in daring and innovative pranks that spanned the school or were set up in random hallways, passages, and doorways so that they weren't targeting an individual. Sirius was pleased with Peter's progress, though slightly terrified at the vaguely manic gleam in his eye as he devised magical pranks. Despite being a third year, Peter was showing surprising talent in coming up with new ways to use old spells, and simple, weak ones at that. There were quite a few pranks devised that week that the Marauders had never considered, or at least never shared with Sirius. Oh yes, this was going to be a semester, despite what was going on in the rest of Britain.

/*/

The next week, the group from the compartment were glad to have had a few extra hours to get used to the different Peter. Watching everyone's reactions was much better when you were able to keep a straight face. Sirius maintained that it was because ones straight face made their reaction just a little more disbelieving. Peter was inordinately pleased with himself. It seemed developing another side of himself was just as good a prank on those who knew him as anything the other Marauders could have done. He was still amused by the looks on peoples faces when some of the traits strengthened by Sirius or Regulus, such as sarcasm or a penchant for more muggle-like pranks, surfaced. Though the latter weren't always traced back to him but when they were, the reactions were always rather amusing. And while his first year hadn't had many bullies targeting him, by the second week of the second half of his third year not even the meanest of the Slytherins dared touch him, and not just because of Sirius. Only a sixth of all pranks pulled on those who harassed or considered harassing Peter were from the other Marauders, and those were the kinder ones. "Thank you, Sirius. I don't..." began Peter during one of their meeting in the Room of Requirements three weeks into term. Sirius cut him off with a grin and a hand.

"I know, and for now, it truly is enough," he said. The others nodded. Peter sighed, but accepted Sirius' words. It was enough, for that at least.

/?/

A/N: Severus will have his reaction given in the next chapter. It has been brought to my attention that Severus, though he has been mentioned in this story, hasn't really been present. I am going to fix that in these next chapters where I'm aiming to move away from the school a bit and delve into the family/friend dynamic and also, maybe, throw in some introspection. Let me know which one you want more of in that nice, inviting gray box directly below this note and Bible verse.

Proverbs 4: 26

"Give careful thought to thepaths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:** Brooding and Hot Chocolate... And Cheese Cake.

Severus Snape was not the kind of young man to easily confuse. Nor was he easily unbalanced. Sirius Black managed to do both. In the days following Sirius' reveal of his secret, Severus had pushed his reactions aside. This was because he was a Slytherin through and through. No Slytherin would show his weakness to another. That was stupid and reckless and simply not done. So, Severus had shoved all his 'weak' responses, which were actually just normal human reactions, to Sirius' tell-all-expose into a trunk and locked it. Until he found the Come-and-Go room. He was beginning to go crazy when he passed by the same stretch of wall three times wishing for a place to breakdown where no-one would find him when a door appeared to pop out of the wall. Sparing but a moment to make sure no-one was watching, Severus ducked in and shut the door. He found himself in a smaller, more intimate version of his House common room. Sitting on one of the couches, Severus broke down and cried. Then he screamed and threw the many breakable items the room provided until his throat was raw. "Why would I do that! Why did they hate me? What did I do?! What was I thinking?! I'll kill that snake faced hypocrite! How dare he! Lair! Cheat! Who am I even mad at anymore?!" he yelled as he smashed a particularly familiar looking liquor cabinet. He stopped for a moment, panting, and thought. He was sad. Sad for what exactly? His friends. Who? Sirius, who lived free and bold and did his best to do what was right even when it was hard and was repaid with hate and a prison cell guarded by the darkest creatures in the know wizarding world. Remus, whose pacifism, devotion to the Marauders, and his condition had earned him hate and fear and forced him to deny himself happiness until only a few months before he and his wife were killed in a final battle within the walls of the one place he had felt normal. Peter, who had been weak and easily exploited, turned on his friends and forced to spend most of his adult life as a rat. Lily, sweet beautiful Lily, who fought against so much and was eventually overwhelmed. Lily, who trusted a friend of her husband and was murdered. Lily, who hadn't lived to see her son grow into a wonderful wizard. James... a wizard he had badly misunderstood in his first life. James who he had hated. James who had saved him from Sirius, whom he had goaded. James, who had never been able to fully appreciate what he had gained before it was taken from him. He was angry. At whom? Voldemort, Tom Riddle Jr., the so-called Dark Lord and Heir of Slytherin who 'followed in the renowned Founder's footsteps.' Himself, for following the madman. James, for loving Lily and getting her to fall for him. Sirius, for being an idiot. Regulus, for not listening to his brother in the first place. He was grateful. To whom? Sirius, for being a hero. James, for accepting him as a friend. Remus, for being the mostly sane one in the whole crazy bag of wet cats suspended over turkey soaked in gravy. Himself, for listening to Sirius the second time. He sighed and threw a few more things, grateful for the release. Then, he left the mostly destroyed room and went down to the kitchens where he found Regulus. Regulus who was holding out a mug full of steaming hot chocolate with a smirk.

"They say that hot tea with honey is best for a sore throat, but hot chocolate is best after an emotional meltdown. Why? Because it's chocolate. And hot," the younger Black said, pressing it into Severus' hand. "Want someone to listen?" Severus snorted, but sipped the coco.

"No. I believe the castle has done enough of that tonight," he said. Regulus nodded.

"The elves finished making a small shortcake. If I ask, I should be able to get us a slice, some strawberries, and possibly some cream. What do you say?"

"Dose your brother know about your obsession with strawberries and cream?" Regulus laughed loudly, his head falling back and his eyes closing.

"Sev, Siri started me on my obsession! I'd say he knows," he said, eyes now open and twinkling merrily at Severus. The young potions master-in-training idly noticed that when a Black's eyes twinkle at you, it was decidedly less creepy than when Dumbledore did the eye twinkle. That was when Sirius came around the corner.

"Hello Severus. Found the room did you? Wonderful. Listen, Flint's on his rounds. We need to get to the Common Room before he notices we're not there," he said. Then he noticed the mugs. "Coco? Without me? Regulus, you scoundrel! Oi! Tuffy! Can I get a shot of what he has?!" A rather excitable elf popped up with a small ceramic cup of coco and was turning back to the ovens when Sirius called out, "Thanks Tuffy! I own you a Sugar Quill!" Tuffy was turning back in surprise when Sirius spun on his heel and marched back to the Slytherin Common Room. Severus turned to Regulus, his mouth open, when his words were cut off before they could begin.

"You should know that already Sev. Yes, he's always like that," the Ravenclaw said before striding off down the hall, presumable on his way to Ravenclaw Tower. Severus shook his head and drank his coco, striding down the hall as well.

"It's official. I will never understand Black. _Any_ Black," he muttered. The paintings all chuckled. That was the fifth one that week!

/*/

It had been a beautiful prank against Regulus and a friend of his in Ravenclaw, thought Peter a few days later. Sirius was counting on his little brother to explain to the slightly older Ravenclaw that it was just Sirius' way of saying he loved his little brother. Dropping a five gallon bucket of sour cream on a person and then charming dozens of feathers to stick to them while changing colors was all too easy to take the wrong way after all and Sirius knew, better than most, what an angry Ravenclaw could do. Peter collapsed in a giggling heap just inside the secret passageway. "Get a hold of yourself!" Sirius hissed at the giddy Hufflepuff.

"Oh come off it, Siri! That was brilliant and you know it! Besides, I know how to laugh quietly, and am doing so," Peter snapped, slightly hurt that Sirius didn't seem to trust him. Sirius shook his head.

"Why am I friends with you again?" he asked, mostly sarcastically. Peter went silent for a moment, then his giggles turned to rather disconcerting chuckles. Evil chuckles. "Oh no, what have I done?" Sirius moaned, knowing what the Marauders had agreed would happen should one of them ask The Question. Then he realized that Peter had vanished. Another groan and Sirius ghosted down the secret passageway, hoping to find Peter at the end. He wasn't there. Cursing under his breath, Sirius stole down the hallway, ducking into passageways and tickling paintings on his way back to the Slytherin common room. Along the way, Sirius muttered, "I'm an idiot! Why did I ask that question? Now he's going to be popping up with reasons for months! Wait... are there that many reasons? Heh, knowing Pete, he'll make them last for months. Might even bring in James and Remus. Possibly Marlene, Severus, Lily, and Frank as well. (Sirius Swear) And why did I have to help him hone his stealth skills? Now I don't know where he is! Hum, I should talk to Remus and James about making The Map. I didn't mention it in my tell-all-expose. And where is that badger?! (Sirius Swearing) I sure hope he isn't setting up a prank at the common room door. That would be embarrassing. Or is he going to write a list? Write it all out, pencil in my response, and use it as blackmail later. Or fluff. Why do people write that junk? Oh yeah, because it makes them feel good. Silly, silly, useless literary garbage. Oh no! Now I sound like my mother! The horror!" Here Sirius was forced to stop and hold his head while silently writhing in mental agony. He was silent the rest of the way to his common room. Peter didn't leap out and start regaling him with reasons to be his friend, but Sirius was still wary. There was more than one way to prank a Snake, as the Marauder saying went. Actually, there were many in that vein, one for each House, one for the school, and one for sentient beings in general. Minus centaurs. Never the centaurs.

/*/

James and Remus both quirked an eyebrow when Peter came bounding into the library. "Sirius asked The Question!" he said all too happily. James grinned a remarkably Sirius grin and Remus looked a bit pleased as well, though no-where near the level of Peter and James.

"Well then," the well mannered werewolf said, gently and elegantly closing his book with a smirk, "we shall give him Our Answer." Peter was nearly cackling as he pulled out a quill. James' eyes were crackling as he pulled out parchment.

"Reason One..." began Remus.

"You can't pull off every prank by yourself," supplied Peter.

"Reason Two..." James said.

"You'd be lonely without us," Remus said with a smirk.

"Nice one! Reason Three..." James replied.

"You need someone to bounce ideas off of," Peter said. "Reason Four..."

"Our musical abilities," James piped up. "Reason Five!"

"Real life practice with handling werewolves," Remus said drily. The others rolled their eyes.

"Reason Six!" James and Peter chorused.

"Help with homework."

"Reason Seven."

"Research helpers."

"Reason Eight."

"We don't think you're crazy.

"Reason Nine."

"Someone to laugh at your jokes. Reason Ten."

"Someone to routinely torture who won't hate you."

"Gee, you sure about that? It sounded a bit... harsh, Pete."

"I'm sure James. Reason Eleven."

"Erm..."

"We don't care about your family."

"Reason Twelve."

"We count you as family."

"Reason Thirteen."

"We need you as much as you need us." James held up the finished list with a triumphant grin, then blinked.

"Uh, guys? Why were we writing it out?" he asked. Peter shook his head.

"So we could figure out who should say which reason!" he said.

"Ah. So... who does get which reason?" James asked.

"The ones you put forward are the reasons you tell Sirius," Remus said, taking the list and marking who said which reason before copying it twice and handing the copies to Peter and James. "Now, Operation Tell Sirius why he Made the Marauders: Start!" Grinning, the other three Marauders dispersed to put their plan into action.

/*/

The next week, all the Marauders refused to help Sirius pull off a prank on the Great Hall that would send glitter and bubbles down from the ceiling over the House Tables and cause the goblets on the High Table to sing 'Can't We be Friends?' When it failed miserably, Peter strolled by and whispered in Sirius' ear, "Reason One, you can't pull off every prank yourself." Moaning, Sirius realized he had been played by _all _the Marauders, and that Peter had pulled them in on The Response. After that, none of the other three would hang out with him. It was okay, Sirius thought to himself even as he searched for Severus or Lily, he had other friends. However, Lily was studying, Severus was brewing and snappish, Regulus was stressing slightly over his astronomy charts, and everyone else wasn't as much fun. A week later, they all sat beside a distraught Sirius and began talking. Reaching for a chocolate eclair, Remus whispered,

"Reason two, you'd be lonely without us." Sirius would have groaned, but he recognized it as true. He had been unbelievably lonely that week. Then, when Sirius had several new ideas for morale boosting pranks and wanted some input from his friends, they acted like they couldn't hear him. This went on for about two weeks, until Sirius nearly burst out crying from the pent up frustration and mild hurt their silence caused him.

"Reason three," Peter said, placing a hand on the emotionally shaken youth's shoulder, "you need someone to bounce ideas off of."

"I hate you," Sirius sniffed. Peter shook his head and Remus handed Sirius a sheet of parchment.

"Here's what we thought of your ideas, Sirius. Please don't hate me," the still rather sensitive werewolf said. Sirius took a deep breath and took the parchment.

"Give me a day or two, Moony. I'll cool off. It's just the Black temper talking," he said, giving Remus a rather shaky smile. They decided to give Sirius a few days before they gave their next reason.

/*/

It was Charms class and they were meant to make their teacups sing 'Twinkle Twinkle little Star.' James saw it as the best time to present Reason Four. He made his teacup sing, 'Flying Purple People Eater.' Sirius snorted. As they were filing out James told Sirius, "Reason four, our musical talents," in a low voice. Sirius shook his head, but continued on his way. The next Reason wasn't given until the full moon had passed, Sirius revealing that he could transform still. They were in the hospital wing when Remus remarked,

"Reason five, real life experience." Sirius shook his head at his friend, a wry smile on his face.

"Yeah, and I give you experience in dog training." Remus laughed weakly at the poor joke and Peter poked his head in.

"Reason nine, someone to laugh at your jokes," he said before vanishing. Remus and Sirius were both startled into silence until,

"He broke the order," Remus muttered unhappily. Sirius laughed quietly at his friend's disappointed tone.

"It was a golden opportunity, Moony. Would you have passed it up?" he asked. Remus sighed.

"I guess not," he said before rolling over and falling asleep. Once they were released, Sirius found he had some trouble with his ancient runes and arithmancy homework. So he brought it to the Marauders' Meet that night and complained as he worked. James and Peter shared a look while Remus strode over and sat down.

"Reason six, homework help," James said, nodding. Sirius scowled at him, but wasn't about to push Remus away. The Ravenclaw was the best tutor he could possibly get. It was a few days later when Sirius was in the library and despairing of finding the book he needed. Remus smirked, pulling the book out and handing it to the near frantic time-dimesion-traveler.

"Reason seven, research help," he said before pulling out several other books that Sirius would never have thought to look in. Grumbling about silly teenagers turning everything into a reason Sirius sat down to compile notes for his Runes paper. Remus chuckled and shook his head before taking the quill from Sirius' hand and helping him take _helpful_ notes that could actually be read. Sirius rolled his eyes, exasperated at the werewolf for practically doing the work for him, but didn't complain. He still hadn't gotten the hang of taking notes.

/*/

"I just had the greatest idea!" Sirius suddenly said during the next Meet. The Marauders gave him curious looks. "We'll transfigure Dumbledor's robes into _normal_ robes, like, say, emerald green, and then we'll turn Minnie's robes _unique_, like, say, sky blue with neon stars! Then they'll think the other stole their robes, or everyone else will think that Minnie left some of her robes in Dumbledor's room and Dumbledor left some in her room and they're wearing each other's robes!" he expounded. They shared a smirk.

"Reason eight, we don't think you're crazy," James said, ignoring the glare plus pout he got from Sirius for it.

"Well, at least Pete already gave reason nine. Would it be too much to ask for you to tell me the others now?" the rather put out Black Heir asked. The other three grinned.

"Yep!" they chorused.

"Figures," Sirius said, packing up his things and leaving the room. The remaining Marauders shared a look.

"Worth it," they said, again as one and with matching grins. It was the next morning when Sirius' 'revenge' was discovered. He had tested a new prank potion on Peter that made him become a replica of Hagrid. Chuckling with the half-giant's deep voice, Peter turned to the Slytherin table.

"Reason ten, someone to routinely torture who won't hate you," he said. Sirius shivered, hearing those words in Hagrid's voice. Perhaps he shouldn't pick on Peter so much. During lunch, Sirius heard about something his cousin Bellatrix had done to a group of three first year Hufflepuffs. His face was burning with fury and embarrassment and he was about ready to stand and start a fist fight with her when Remus came over.

"Reason eleven, we don't care about your family," he said, shoving a cream puff into Sirius' mouth before sitting down and chatting with Severus. James came over and sat on his other side, stealing his food.

"Reason twelve," Peter said from behind, still looking like Hagrid but without the voice, "we count you as family."

"Stop. You're gonna make me cry," Sirius said in an admiral deadpan. Hagrid!Peter smiled down at his friend.

"It's true though, Sirius. We all agreed."

"Why do I feel like this isn't the end?" James grinned, Remus blushed, and a dangerous gleam entered Peter's eyes. "I'm almost sorry I asked," Sirius moaned, wishing he could vanish. The others laughed at his discomfort and kept eating. Eventually, Sirius joined in and helped cause a scene as they began fighting over their favorite foods. They left the hall laughing, their arms around each others shoulders. It was good having his brothers by his side, Sirius decided. Even if they drove him batty, it was good to have them joking and laughing again.

/*/

A week later, Sirius glared at his grinning friends in a passable imitation of Severus' Death Glare. "I hate you all, you grinning fools," he muttered darkly. Peter just chuckled and looped an arm around his shoulders.

"You don't mean that and we all know it. Why don't you just accept the madness of your second life and be done with it?" he said all too cheerfully. Sirius' glare intensified.

"No. I really mean it," he said, still doing a passable impression of Severus Snape. James chuckled.

"Well," he said, swiping some whipped cream from his friend's shoulder, "now you know why _we_ think you're our friend, so why don't you tell us what you agreed with?" Sirius sighed, then smirked.

"All of it, you crazy wizards," he said, tossing a laughing James into a smirking Remus and knocking both of them into a rather large pile of cream cheese and graham cracker crumbs. Peter sat back with a contented smile, before Sirius shoved him into a patch of lime juice. "And whose idea was it to turn the corridor into a cheese cake topped with whipped cream and limes?" he asked. Regulus sheepishly raised a hand. Sirius looked scandalized. "And you asked these clowns to help you?" Regulus nodded. "Without me?" Sirius asked, sounding hurt. The Marauders and Regulus grinned.

"Want to help finish it?" they asked as one. With a grin, Sirius whipped out his wand, gave it a theatrical flourish, and assembled the splattered ingredients. "Show off," muttered Regulus, stuffing his hands in his pockets and heading to the kitchens for come lime topped cheese cake that _hadn't_ had Marauders tossed into it. Chuckling faintly to himself, Sirius followed, along with the others. In the morning, James got chewed out by Lily at the breakfast table, and then she went around the rest of those involved in the Cheese Cake Corridor prank. By the time she was done, the Heads didn't need to do much but give them a look and they cowered. Lily Evans was a Queen when it came to reaming out troublemakers.

"She'll make an excellent mum," Sirius muttered during the detention. James jerked a little, then continued to work. Peter chuckled.

"Not to mention wife," he said with a vaguely wicked grin.

"Stop. Please," James moaned. Remus laughed softly.

"She's already got him halfway trained," the werewolf said, all too cheerful.

"Oh come on! Would you stop that?" The other four looked at each other with matching grins.

"Nope!" they chorused.

"Really James, did you think we wouldn't tease you at least a little?" Regulus asked.

"I thought you, at least, wouldn't be much of a problem," James muttered darkly, scrubbing a bit more vigorously. They others all laughed while Regulus shook his head.

"Nah. I live in a home where the woman has the man whipped. Father might be an Auror, but when he comes home, he's an elf," he said, a bit sadly. Sirius shook his head.

"He wasn't always, Regulus. I remember over hearing that I had the same sense of humor as father, right after I came home from St. Mungos. I think it was... once I started being... not what they wanted. Reliably anyway. Once it was clear that I didn't follow their mold and never would. Only my being in Slytherin is keeping my home life bearable," he said. The rest of the detention passed silently. As far as large scale pranks went, the cheese cake corridor was rather tame and no-one was too upset, so the Marauders, and Regulus, only had the one day of scrubbing the bathrooms by hand. Most of the students actually laughed when they saw the giant cake then asked the house elves if they could have a piece. Knowing the Marauders, and having orders from Sirius and Regulus, the house elves cut a piece from the corridor and used their unique brand of magic to cleanse it of any harmful germs. The cake was gone by the end of the day and spirits were high. However, it wasn't to last. The next morning, droves of black letters arrived and Sirius' eyes grew dark as he surveyed the devastated student population.

"Something must be done," Sirius growled. Severus, who was sitting beside him, gave the Black Heir a curious look.

"What do you propose?" he asked. Sirius then settled down into his thinking pose, and stayed that way for most of the day. His friends and Regulus were between confused and concerned. Whenever Sirius had been that deep in thought before, it hadn't always meant good things.

/*/

"A fund for those left behind," Sirius suddenly said during that night's Meet. The Marauders, and Lily, Severus, Marlene, and Regulus, gave him confused looks. "I want to set up a fund for those left behind. Perhaps a refugee camp. Something. James, gather the rich kids in Gryffindor, Peter from Hufflepuff, Remus from Ravenclaw. It's time we banded together to help someone other than ourselves with our old money. Who knows, it might bring in new money some day," he expounded. Lily, who was beginning to become less and less surprised to find herself at these gatherings, was a bit surprised by the hard look in James' eyes.

"You're absolutely right Sirius. Something must be done and until we can fight back ourselves, we need to do what we can for our classmates. There was a time when I only thought of myself, but I now see I can no longer live that way. I have access to a rather large trust fund, and I'm more than willing to use it to help others. Merlin knows they need it more than I do," he said and again, Lily was vaguely amazed by the messy haired youth. She had always thought he was a troublesome little boy who abused his money and rubbed it in other people's faces and here he was willingly spreading it out to help those less fortunate, orphans and the like. Maybe he could be a good man. Sirius beamed at him.

"Not exactly what I had in mind, but I like it! I also have a fair sized vault at my disposal, the majority of which I will also donate to the fund," he said proudly. Peter nodded.

"My trust vault isn't as vast as either Sirius' or James', but what I can, I'll give. I don't want to be... Wormtail," he said, spitting out the name like it was poison. Sirius nodded, pride rolling off of him.

"I'm sorry, I have no money to pledge," Remus said, looking upset. Sirius shook his head.

"Next Meet, bring the children of rich or influential families. That will be enough for me, Moony."

"No, it's not. I pledge my wand to your cause, Sirius. If you need help in a fight, I'll be there," Remus said, a fire lighting in his own eyes. The others also drew their wands, pledging them to the fight. Sirius was nearly crying.

"The Dark Hypocrite won't know what hit him," he said thickly, though he worried slightly over Marlene. Her family had been one of the first to go, due to her connection to the Order. He hoped it wouldn't happen with whatever he chose to call his growing group of fighters.

"Yeah, but until I can fulfill _that_ pledge, I give what I can from my own trust vault," Regulus said, laying a hand on his brother's shoulder. Sirius smiled at his brother, to overcome with emotion to say a thing. All but the four male Marauders left. Sirius gave his first friends a slightly watery smile before turning to leave.

"Reason thirteen," James said, stopping Sirius in his tracks.

"We need you as much as you need us," Peter finished with a faint smile. Sirius laugh mirthlessly, a wry smile on his lips.

"Thanks guys, I mean it," he said, before leaving. Remus, James, and Peter gave each other a three way high-five.

"Mission accomplished," Remus said, officially ending ' Operation Tell Sirius why he Made the Marauders.' They separated soon after that, all of them mulling over what they had done, and who they would ask to the next Meet. When the time came, Zabini, Greengrass, Bones, Jones(Hestia), Longbottom, Abbot, Macmillan, and Shacklebolt were represented, as well as all four Houses. Sirius repeated his pitch, and all present pledged money and a few their wands. Frank Longbottom, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Edgar Bones pledged to follow Sirius that night as well. The next morning, before anyone else in his dorm woke, Sirius wrote to Gringotts asking if a private meeting could be arranged. He received a far too neutral note in reply. Growling faintly in aggravation, Sirius nonetheless acquiesced to waiting for summer break before going to Gringotts and setting up the fund. He didn't foresee there being any problems with his plan. Goblins were brilliant allies, and devastating enemies. Having watched Harry's life and felt an echo of his feelings, Sirius knew how to make a friend in the Nation and knew that the Nation could make things work in their favor when it came to money. Now all he needed was to make it through the rest of the year. It was easier than he thought it would be. Things went well, pranks being pulled every couple of days by one or more of the group, which surprisingly found itself to have grown to include Lily Evans and Severus Snape on a near constant basis as well as Regulus. Now that Regulus was helping his brother, Peeves consented to help him find his way, encouraging the boy to follow his brother's lead all the while. Third year for Sirius Black ended alright, but there were far too many causalities for anyone's peace of mind. Finally, after more letters, more frustration, more pranks, and mountains of homework, the students went home for the summer. That was when Sirius really began to put his plan into action.

/*/

"Sirius Orion Black here to speak with Sharpsword about an urgent matter that will effect both the Nation and the Wizarding World," Sirius said to the Goblin tiller the second day of summer break.

"Your parents?" the Goblin asked. Sirius sighed.

"Believe me, Master Brightshard, you'd rather deal with me than my banshee of a mother. She could make a dragon look docile," he said glumly. The Goblin sat up a bit at this. Not many wizards would talk like that to a Goblin.

"Is that so?" he found himself asking. Sirius chuckled mirthlessly.

"Yes. I've only stayed in that house as long as I have because I hold out hope for my father. That and my dearest little brother still loves my parents. I can't leave him, not Regulus. But I didn't come to gossip about my family, amusing as it would be. I have quite a bit of money I want to spread around for a just cause and I know the Nation will be able to help me," he said, trying to get back on topic. Brightshard found himself wanting the young wizard in front of him to succeed. He knew the youth was likely a Slytherin, the ambition burning in his eyes was evidence enough, but he had the heart of a lion and a hard edge that the Goblin could respect.

"I will inquire if Sharpsword is ready for you," he said. Sirius grinned a rather Goblin like grin and bowed his head slightly.

"My gratitude," he said lightly. As it happened, Sharpsword agreed to see him rather quickly. Sirius entered the office, then gave a warrior's salute to the Goblin behind the desk. "Good day to you, Master Sharpsword. Thank you for agreeing to see me. I have a proposition that would greatly benefit not only my little corner of the world, but the Nation as well."

"What do you have in mind?" asked the Goblin, intrigued despite himself. The warrior salute hadn't hurt either.

"I want to set up a fund for displaced non-purebloods. The rich students of Hogwarts have been interceding for their friends with their parents, but it's not enough. They need help, Master Sharpsword, help that can be accomplished with what I and several others have planned, but we need your help," Sirius answered, slight desperation seeping into his words. Sharpsword was well and truly intrigued now.

"First, I need to know how this will help the Nation," he said. Sirius' Goblin like grin reappeared.

"I have a very long memory, Master Sharpsword, as well as a large fortune I will inherit when I either come of age or become an orphan, plus I aim to be the one to lead the Wizarding world out of this war. Oh, I don't want the spotlight, but I will have influence by the time this war is over. Influence I will use to make things better for the Nation. Not to mention that I couldn't possibly manage my large fortune, and all the investments tied to that fortune, all by my lonesome. I'd need a banker, someone I trust unwaveringly, to manage it all for me. Help me make my world a better place with your talents, and I in turn will help you make your world a better place with my resources and what useful talents I have. Does that not sound appealing, Master Sharpsword?" he said sweetly, his grin never falling. Sharpsword matched it.

"You would make a good Goblin, Mister Black," he said. Sirius chuckled darkly, his eyes growing shadowed and pained. Suddenly, Sharpsword felt as if he were looking at a seasoned soldier, stained with blood and tears. A shiver went down his back as he saw the After-Image for a moment before Sirius came back to the present.

"Nah, I don't know the first thing about banking, just pranking and taking the other guy down. Hard. Now, would you like to hear how I intend to set up the Muggle-Born Protection Fund without my parents knowing about it?" Sharpsword nodded, feeling that Sirius Orion Black was a Wizard he could back. "The Heirs to the Potter, Pettigrew, Zabini, Greengrass, Bones, Jones, Longbottom, Abbot, Macmillan, and Shacklebolt families have pledged up to eighty percent of their personal trust vaults to the cause. I'd like to use that to make the Fund. But there are two more trust vaults that have been pledged, mine and my brother's. These I want used differently. I want you to use them to set up way stations for fleeing muggle-borns and a few good sized homes for those who have no-where to go. I'd like at least half of those to be outside Britain, as far from Voldy as we can get them but not have a language barrier. America, perhaps. And in the muggle world would be good too. Young children with a grandmother of something similar, a single guardian that is out of school, should be overseas but school aged refugees should have a home in the muggle world, with Hogwarts available for schooling. Can it be done?" he said. Sharpsword was amazed. Some of the families listed were not only rich, they were more than a little dark. Then he shook himself. He was certain now. Sirius Orion Black wasn't your average thirteen-year-old.

"How old are you really?" he asked suddenly, surprising even himself. Sirius' mouth quirked into a sardonic half-smile-half-grimace.

"Let's see now... I was... thirty something when I fell through the Veil... Harry was at least a hundred and seven by the time he died for good... I'm thirteen now... so that's... over a hundred and... fifty? Yeah, let's say a hundred and fifty. I watched and experienced his early life during the night," Sirius said. When he saw the look on the Goblin's face, he couldn't help laughing. "Yeah, it's a long story. Maybe, after this blasted war, I'll tell you some of it. Might make things a bit clearer. But for now," he stood and picked up his outer robe which he had taken off shortly after entering the office, "I need to be getting a broomstick before I return home. I told my parents I was going shopping. Good thing I ordered a broomstick a week ago and told them to hold it, I won't have time to browse. Have a pleasant day, Master Sharpsword, and may you turn a profit from your future dealings," he finished before breezing out of the office. Sharpsword found he didn't even care that the youth hadn't gotten the wording right nor waited to be excused. He had far too much to think about for that.

/?/

A/N: well? More reactions in the later chapter, since I couldn't find a way to fit them in here, and yet more plotting! I do love a good plot. Let me know what you thought in that nice gray box down below would you? Thanks.

Proverbs 5:1

"My son, pay attention to my wisdom, turn your ear to my words of insight,"


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:** Plans, Tensions, and Breaking Points

Sirius was Siriusly happy. Sharpsword was a delightful Goblin to work with and he was fairly certain that the Muggleborn Relief Fund would be set up along with the Muggleborn Protection Project by the time he returned to school in the fall. Yes, things were going well. Stopping by Quality Qudditch Supplies, Sirius picked up his new broom, saluted the shop clerk, and waltzed back into the Leaky Cauldron before Flooing back to his childhood home. Regulus gave him a relieved look. "Mother's been going crazy, Siri. If I were you, I'd head straight to her sitting room. Hand over the broom, I'll put it up for you. Good luck," he said. Sirius groaned, having a feeling that his mother, who was rapidly falling to insanity, was going to be giving him another 'lesson' on how 'great' and 'noble' the House of Black was. He was _not_ looking forward to it, though he did hope she wouldn't drive him away from the house once again. It wasn't exactly something he wanted to do. Though, his being in Slytherin this time around did help him slightly. If by 'help' you mean 'get Walburga and Orion Black to lecture him on his duty to the Great and Noble House of Black.' He sighed, then straightened as much as he could and did his best to glide into his mother's private sitting room.

"You called for me, Mother?" he said stiffly. That was when he noticed Lucius Malfoy standing in the shadows and a knife of ice entered his heart. So, it was that time huh? The time when his mother was so mad she thought Tom was going about things the right way. He fought down the huff of disdain the thought conjured up. As if that dissatisfied son of lovesick near squib and a haughty muggle, who's attitude he seemed to have inherited via genetics, could actually make the proper changes to wizarding Britian! All he'd do is drag them back even further behind the muggles, setting up a true feudal system and monarchy with himself as king before pulling an Alexander the Great and conquering the rest of the Wizarding world! He shook his head slightly and focused on his mother, shoving the image of Tom Riddle on a great white horse, holding a lit wand above his head and charging into other wizarding enclaves to conquer all of magical blood roughly out of his head. He could laugh about it with his friends and Regulus later. Right now, he had a madwoman and a Slytherin who gave the whole house a bad name to contend with. "What is it I can do for you today, Mother?" Sirius tried again, noticing that Walburga hadn't moved. Except her lips, which were just the slightest bit more drawn.

"Yes. Lucius here has agreed to educate you on the goals and ideals of the Dark Lord. I expect you to follow and work towards them," she answered. Sirius snarled, unable to hold back his ire any longer.

"Oh heck no! Do you even know who it is you are sending me to? Do you know his name? I know his name. I know his family. And he is no pure-blood. His mother was! She was one of the Gaunts. But was his father? Oh no! His father, was Tom Riddle. His mother, after she was throw away by the disgusted muggle lordling, named him Tom after his father and Marvelo after her father. And ol' Tommy seems to have inherited his muggle father's arrogant and malicious attitude via genetics. Personally, I don't understand how I'm not a raving lunatic, what with _my_ genetics but you know what? I'll take what blessing I have. And you know what else?! I will never marry a pure-blood, mother. In fact, I'm planning on making my current relationship with a half-blood my _only_ relationship. Should she die, I won't look for seven years. And at the end of seven years, I won't look _anywhere_ in the magical world. No, I'll look among the muggles. They at least know what inbreeding does to people. Did you know, muggles have this stuff called technology and that, should you take a great deal of it back in time to the point at which the magical world appears to be stuck, it would appear as, wouldn't you know it, _MAGIC!_ So I ask you, mother, are we really better or do we simply have a different view and see anything else as threatening to our way of life?" Sirius paused for breath and noticed his mother reaching for her wand. Lucius was frozen as he absorbed what Sirius was saying, though the Black didn't know how long that would last. "_Expelliarmus! Proticifucs Totalis!_" he called, pocketing both wands and regarding the now truly frozen forms before him. "Now now, Mother _dearest_, is that anyway to treat your Heir? I'm sure Regulus would make a fine Lord, but really, he'd much rather be an adviser or aide. He's said so himself! And Lucy, I know I hit a cord, but why the slow reaction? Well, what's done is done now isn't it? Now, just to recap. Mother, no way on earth am I joining the Dark Hypocrite. Lucius, you look like a girl so do something about your hair before your nick-name is permanently changed to Lucy. Mother, you're a madwoman. Lucius, do consider the dangers of inbreeding. And now, a last parting shot to both of you. Mother, don't push me because I won't push back. I'll vanish. And I'll take Regulus with me. He has already agreed. Lucius, there's nothing I can do for you at this point. Your mind is made up, I can tell. Oh yes, I'm not as dense as you seem to think. All I can do for you now is tell you this. I _will_ be the one to catch you. Rain, shine, pain, happiness, terror, island or continent, a change of name, a change of face... none of it will help you. I will track you, I will hound you, I will chase you until the end of the world and will not rest until you are locked up and your fortune frozen until the next Lord Malfoy should rise up. I've said it before and I'll say it again: no-one harms me and mine without retribution. A petty trick or a mostly harmless prank and that retribution will be more akin to a slap on the wrist. A deliberate attack that results in serious injury and my retribution will be as swift and painful as possible. Kill someone I care about and there is no hole deep enough, no mountain tall enough, and no country far enough away to save you from a painful, humiliating, showy, and _permanent_ end by my hand. Remember that, both of you. It might just save your lives," he said before dropping their wands and exiting the parlor, allowing the body-binds to fall as he stepped foot on the landing. Regulus had fallen in step as he moved up the stairs and now turned to his brother, a solemn look on his face.

"That... was a stupidly reckless and excessively Gryffindor thing to do, Sirius. I hope you're strong enough to handle the fall out," he said before entering his room and closing the door. Sirius sighed and entered his own room.

"I know, Reggie. I know," he whispered to the dark room, tears sliding down his face without his conscious knowledge. Regulus had brought forward memories of a different life, of a dead man. Of the Death Eater Sirius had pushed away and helped form, however indirectly it was.

/*/

Sirius didn't know how long it was that he sat there crying, but it was long enough for his eyes to be painfully red and dry when Kreature came up to fetch him for dinner. He had half a mind to tell the wizened little elf to just leave him alone, to say that he wasn't hungry, but then Regulus' words echoed back to him and he stood. "Inform my parents that I shall be down shortly, Kreature. I need to wash up a bit before I can face them," he said stiffly, though the old house elf could see the pain and wariness in the young wizard's eyes.

"Young Master Sirius Black sir, I will tell the Mistress yous not feeling well. Yous stay and rest, Young Master Sirius Black sir," he said, pushing the young Heir to his bed. Sirius tried to protest, but Kreature snapped his fingers and switched Sirius' robes with his pajamas then shoved the now bemused Black into bed. "Yous rest, Young Master..."

"Sirius." Kreautre looked up at the interruption to be greeted by a smiling, and clearly bemused, Sirius. "Just call me Sirius, Kreature. If you're going to help me avoid my mother for a few more hours, you can call me by just my name. Just..." he paused, then nodded, "don't tell mother. She wouldn't understand." Kreature smiled, an odd sight even after all the years Sirius had spent relieving and re-doing his life.

"Kreature understands, Sirius," he said before popping away. Sirius chuckled, then lay back and closed his eyes.

"I wonder if Regulus would believe me if I said I was bullied into bed by Kreature," he mused before falling asleep.

/*/

As it turned out, Regulus gave him a commiserating look. "He's done that to me often, usually when I stayed up too late reading or had a mild cold. He can be a bit... fussy... sometimes," the younger Black said. Sirius smiled at him as he sat down to breakfast.

"Yeah, I can believe it. I'm just worried about how mother will take all this," he said. Regulus gave him another sorry look before sitting 'properly as befitting the Ancient and Noble House of Black.' Sirius sighed, but assumed the posture as well. Walburga Black swooped in and sat regally, Orion following with a vaguely sullen look on his face. Sirius was mildly confused at this. He had never known his father to be sullen. He made a mental note to talk with his father once he retired to his study. However, he had to get past breakfast with his slowly maddening mother glaring at him. Joy.

"Your mother told me you had some... dangerous... ideas. Care to... elaborate?" Orion fished. Sirius flashed him a Slytherin smile, meaning it was nearly non-existent.

"Yes, as a matter of fact. I shall spare you the rhetoric and go with the bare bones. The Dark Lord is a hypocrite. His father was a muggle, his mother was a near squib terrified by her father and brother, and he is mentally unstable. He will lead this world we live in to war with itself, far too many people will be killed, he'll drag us back into the Dark Ages, and if I were to marry a pure-blood there would likely be genetic deficiencies due to recessive genes of a less that savory nature coming forward and causing madness and poor magical power, among other things. Also, I don't care about the so called purity of blood. I care about life, friends, and family and should anyone threaten these things I hold dear, I will not hesitate to strike back and do so relentlessly until the damage done has been repaid three-fold," he told his father. Orion nodded, a spark of defiance briefly appearing in his eyes.

"I don't see this being dangerous. If anything, it pulls the fangs off the viper. As long as he does nothing to shame our house..."

"He has shamed me!" Walburga shrieked. Sirius sighed and laid down his napkin.

"I had hoped that we might avoid this mother, but I see you have not taken my warning seriously. Push me to follow a madman into war, and I will leave this house without ever looking back and I will take Regulus with me. I'd prefer not to have to do that, but with the way you're acting, you might not leave me any other choice. Good day mother, and do not forget my warning. You are down a strike, two more and you're out of luck," he said before sweeping out of the room. Regulus sighed as well before abandoning his pure-blood mask.

"Well Hypogriff droppings, that could have gone better," he said, scowling. With a sigh, his face relaxed and he shook his head. "I didn't really want to have to leave, but it's looking more and more likely that I will have to leave. Oh well, what comes will come and I'll just have to go with it... until I can do something about it that is," he said before standing and following his brother out the door.

/*/

"You do realize that you just threw down the gauntlet... right?" Regulus said. Sirius sighed, glaring at his innocent(yeah right!) ancient runes homework.

"I couldn't let it go on, Regulus. I still hold out for father, but Mother has gone round the bend. Have you seen how she pushes Tom's ideals? I had to give my ultimatum tonight. I know enough to support myself, and likely you as well, should we have to flee. Besides, the Potters took me last time, and they've all grown rather fond of you. Perhaps they'll take us if need be," the elder Black brother answered. Regulus sighed as well.

"Sirius... I'd rather not have to leave. I know I don't have the same memories that you do, of how horrid this house became, but there are a few good memories here I'd rather not leave. And there could be even better memories made here, if I'm given the chance, once the war is won. Please, don't rush things," he said. Sirius looked up at his brother, a brother he had grown to know and love far more than he originally had. He saw fear and uncertainty in those stormy gray eyes. His head felt with a sigh.

"I'm sorry, Reggie. I didn't mean to scare you. I didn't run away until sixth year and then after that I jumped straight into war. This time _will_ be different. I'm different this time around, and so are many others. We have time, brother. We have time," he said, standing and placing a hopefully comforting hand on his brother's shoulder. Regulus sighed, but nodded with a brave smile. Sirius felt his heart swell with pride. Regulus, who had been so easily lead astray, was willing to state his fears, to contradict the plans laid out before him. His little brother was willing to go against what he had been told, to be brave. "I'm proud of you, Regulus. You've grown up well, little brother. I'm glad I got the chance to see it," Sirius said with a grin. Regulus' smile turned from warily brave to brightly happy.

"So am I, Sirius. I'm glad I got the chance to know you." Sirius shook his head, a faint smile still clinging to his lips.

"Go on, get changed. We're sneaking out," he said. Regulus' eyes lit up with puckish glee. Whoever said that the younger son of Orion and Walburga Black was a perfect little pure-blood prince who always followed the rules didn't know what he was talking about. Regulus was just as much a rebel as his big brother. He was just quieter about it.

"Can we go to that burger joint?" he asked. Sirius smirked.

"I would have thought the bookstore. What, you hoping we'll run into what's-her-face again?" Regulus flushed slightly.

"No! I'm still hungry. Your little outburst interrupted my lunch. I only got three bites," he said. Sirius laughed, but agreed. He did like burgers after all.

/*/

It had been such a promising week. Then Tobias had to walk in while he was doing his practical potions work. When the yelling started, Severus suddenly realized something. He had friends. He had good friends. He had good _caring_ friends. Friends who would take him in. A slow smile, a rather rare sight even at the best of times, slid onto Severus' face. "Shut up you ignorant, abusive, and down right deplorable alcoholic jerk," he said slowly and evenly, his face seemingly emotionless though there was amusement and relief hidden there for those who looked.

"What did you say?" Tobias asked, trembling with anger. Severus stood, shoulders back and jaw set.

"I said, 'shut up you ignorant, abusive, and down right deplorable alcoholic jerk,' _father_," he said, pouring all his loathing and anger into the word 'father.' Tobais quivered, but Severus was already moving. Robe, shirt, tie, socks, book, caldron, belt, pants, and then Tobias' fist smashed into his jaw.

"You insolent brat! I feed you. I clothe you. I put a roof over your head. And how do you repay me? Disobedience, disrespect, and girlishness!" Severus stood and continued packing his trunk. Stack of books, two more robes, five more socks, some underclothes, another tie, and another blow. Not a sound escaped from Severus, not a single tear fell. "Don't ignore me child!" Tobias roared. Severus slammed his trunk closed and rose, lifting the worn trunk as he did so.

"Goodbye, Tobias, and good luck feeding your habit without me, because I am never coming back," he said, his voice low, slow, and deliberate. Tobias' screams followed him as he thumped down the stairs. The door crashed into the wall, but Severus didn't feel a thing, didn't wince. He just kept walking. Arnold tried to stop him, but Severus had had enough. He swung his trunk at his bully of a brother and kept on walking. He didn't stop until he reached the Evans' house. Taking a deep breath, he raised his hand and knocked. Mrs. Evans answered and once she saw the bruise on his face gasped and dragged him inside.

"Sit, sit! I'll get some ice for that bruise. Oh, you poor boy! How often has this happened?" she gushed, worry evident in her voice. Severus froze for a moment, then relaxed slightly.

"Far too often," he said softly. Lily came dashing down the stairs into the kitchen. She froze when she saw that Severus was there, but once he turned, the vivid purple bruise showing, she squeaked and rushed over to him. Her arms wrapped around him and her tears fell onto his shoulder. Awkwardly, Severus returned the hug. "It's alright, Lils. I left, and I'm never going back. Even if I have to live on the run, I'm not going back," he said, hoping it would reassure her. Instead, she stiffened. Worried, Severus pulled back a little. Her eyes looked like pools of green fire. He swallowed nervously. "Lily?" he asked.

"Mom, we're moving," she said. Mrs. Evans looked at her younger daughter in confusion. "Severus needs a place to stay, one his father doesn't know about. We're giving it to him." Understanding lit in her mother's eyes and she nodded.

"I'll talk to your father about it, but I'm fairly sure he'll agree. You and your friend can start looking now, if you like," she said. Severus didn't move, didn't speak. He was too shocked that his desperate bid for freedom had apparently worked. Then Petunia spoke up.

"What's _he_ doing here?!" she shrieked, "and why are we moving for him?!" Severus winced, then remembered who she could grow up to be and grew thoughtful.

"Petunia, wasn't it?" he asked, sitting back, thinking about what he could do depending on how she answered. Unknowing of the Slytherin's intentions, Petunia nodded. Severus gave her a smile, though only Lily could see the scheming in the expression, and said, "I've always liked petunias. Though they aren't quite as dear to me as lilies, I could grow to love them." Lily face palmed.

"That was lame, Sev, and you know it," she said, shaking slightly. Severus shrugged, a rather Potter like smirk on his face.

"Look at who I hang around, Lily. Do they seem like the kings of cool?" he asked. Lily chuckled.

"No, not really. Though, James and Sirius might be contenders for that title," she answered. He shook his head.

"I can't pull off their style, so it's best I make my own," he said. Then Lily turned deathly serious.

"Are you trying to make a move on my sister, Severus?" she asked. Severus swallowed heavily, then looked at the floor.

"You're the earth and heaven to James, and from the sounds of things... that's not going to change. No, the only thing changing is James' attitude and that change might be happening sooner rather than later. I just... need to get over you. Because... you're very dear to me, Lily. You're the first person who saw Severus Snape, not Tobias' errand boy or Eileen's mistake. It... meant a lot," he said, his voice growing fainter as he spoke. Lily looked on kindly, while Petunia sniffed dismissively at him.

"Are you sure you aren't an errand boy or a mistake?" she asked. He looked up at her, the fire in his eyes flaring a little, and said,

"I am Severus Tobias Snape, and I am no-one's errand boy. Nor am I a mistake. Too long have I believed it, too long have I tolerated the abuse my own father gave to me. No more. That is why I'm leaving. Your sister was simply kind enough to... actually... she was rather forceful. She just assumed I'd stay with you and your family and that you'd all pack up and move so Tobias wouldn't be able to find me. Really, Mrs. Evans, I'm sure I'll be just fine on my own." Mrs. Evans shook her head.

"I'm not leaving a brave, scarred, young man like yourself alone. You need to be shown love, and care, and encouraged to be all you can be. And I'm going to be the one to do it. Once you and the girls find a decent place and we're all moved, I'm going over to Tobias' _hut_ and making him sign you over to me. You'll be Severus Snape-Evans, if you'd like, by this time next month," she said. Severus gave her a bewildered smile before she was gone, bustling away to do goodness knew what. Petunia was now looking at Severus in consideration, as though his outburst had changed something of her view of him. It was a bit uncomfortable, but when he considered what her future could be, Severus was willing to integrate himself into her life as the most interesting and reasonable person around. No-one should go from love to hate to abusing their own nephew.

/*/

Peter stared at the mirror. '_Peter was a lackey in every sense of the word, even after Hogwarts,' 'Peter betrayed them, leading the Dark Lord right to them,' ' Wormtail, Peter, was trying to get out of the country. I couldn't let the vile betrayer go, so I cornered him. That was when things really went pear shaped. He shouted that I had betrayed James and Lily, then blew up the street, killing at least a dozen muggles, then transformed into his rat animagus form and fled into the sewers. I broke down in hysterics, laughing and saying I had killed Lily and James. I was arrested and thrown in Azkaban without so much as a by your leave,'_ Sirius's voice chimed in his head. But now, nearly half a year after the fact, the words left unsaid, perhaps not even thought in the torrent of emotion and memory Sirius was experiencing, came to him. '_Because of Peter.'_ No, he thought. Because of Wormtail. Not Peter. Wormtail. The way Sirius had said that name... it was like poison to him. "I am not Wormtail," Peter said firmly, standing a bit straighter and lifting his chin a bit higher. He wasn't the handsomest of boys, nor was he one of the fittest, but looking at himself then, Peter saw something he hadn't before. He saw a fighter. A fire kindled in his chest, coursing through him, a hot determination to be a better man. He gave a single sharp nod and allowed the fire to die down, but it did not go out. And Peter didn't really want it to either. _'Wormtail betrayed everyone,'_ Sirius had said. Not Peter. Wormtail. "I _won't be_ Wormtail," he muttered as he stalked into his room. His mother had heard him, but didn't bother entering his room. He had so many pranks set that only he knew how to get past that no-one dared to even touch the handle of his door. Alone in his messy room, Peter took stock. Sirius hadn't really said much about the Other Peter aside from what he had done as Wormtail. He frowned, then realized, he couldn't sit still any longer. So he cleaned. Clothes sailed into the hamper, books were shoved onto previously minimally used shelves, papers were straightened, projects organized, clean clothes folded and put away, his trunk was emptied and his homework spread out on his recently cleaned desk. Three hours later, Peter stepped back to survey his work. He nodded to himself. It looked a lot more like the room of a young man with drive, rather that of a boy who didn't take anything seriously. Thinking about his pledge to Sirius, Peter picked up his defense text and sat down on the bean bag chair Sirius had gotten him to read it. He was going to become strong enough to protect his friends. He owed it to them.

/*/

Remus sighed and shoved the book away, staring out the open window. He was restless. It was like an itch under his shoulder blades. Standing abruptly, he stalked into the living room. "May I visit James, father?" he asked, hoping the man would say yes. Mr. Lupin smiled at his son, glad that he was actually asking to visit a friend.

"Sure, just let me fire call the Potters and see what they think," he said. Remus nodded and after several minutes of bouncing on his toes, he was entering Potter Manor.

"Remus!" James called, bounding down the stairs to meet his friend. Remus smiled wanly, and finally realized what it was he felt he needed to do. He needed to talk.

"Can we go to your room?" he asked. James paused, searching his face, then nodded and lead the way.

"So... what do you need to talk about?" James asked, lounging against his desk. Remus sat with a sigh on his bed.

"Me," he said. James quirked an eyebrow. "About the future I could have had, the person I could have been," he clarified. James nodded and sat down, knowing it might take a while. He wasn't exactly disappointed. "What was I doing, James? After you and... I wasn't there for... _what was I doing?!_ And then there's the little fact that I was such a pacifist that I let you get away with bullying. How many people did we drive to darkness with our crass actions? Look at what seemed to have happened with Severus! Or Regulus! Did I... was I... were _we_... pawns? In some massive chess game where we couldn't even see the board? Did we even care? Dumbledore had been dosing us for goodness knows how long and... did we care? Did we question? It didn't seem like it. I know this seems like a delayed reaction but... there was school and homework and pranks and... heck even Quditch! And I don't even play! I threw myself into it, not wanting to think about... _that_. But now... I have to. Regulus told me he had found Severus by the kitchen, so he must have had his breakdown, now it's my turn. I don't know James, I just... I want to do better this time and I think... I want your input. You're different this time around, Sirius said so, and I trust you. If I... stood up a bit more, questioned you, tried to stop you, did... if I were a proper prefect... would I lose you?" Remus said, words pouring out of his mouth as though they could wait to get out even as he struggled to find the proper phrasing. James smiled and stood.

"Remus... you will never lose me, nor Sirius, nor Peter. Not this time," he said, gripping his friend's shoulders. "And Remus, I can speak for Sirius or Peter, but _I_ want you to be all you can be. Now more than ever. Stand up, stop worrying over what people will think of you, and fight for what you believe. It's what we'll all have to do. And it's thanks to you that Lily never hexed me. If it weren't for you and the rest of the Marauders... I wouldn't want to be around me. So... just... do what you think best, alright? I'll support you all the way," he finished. Remus gave him a slightly shaky smile and grasped his forearm.

"Thank you," he said earnestly. James nodded, then took a deep breath.

"I guess it's my turn now, huh?" he asked. Remus gave him a curious look.

"You haven't had yours yet?" he asked.(James turned to the reader and said, "No, because the authoress was too lazy to write all this back in chapter 8, or even chapter 9 when she did Severus'. Honestly, she's a lazy little kitten who can't be trusted to get things done on time. But, now it's my turn for deep, character building, introspection. It's on now!" before turning back to Remus and re-entering the normal time stream of the plot.)

"Nah, I've been doing like you. Throwing myself into school and pranks and Quiditch. But now, you've kinda opened the floor. The me Sirius pretty much avoided describing... he was what I would have been if Dumbledore had kept on dosing me. I would have been immature, rude, arrogant, borderline cruel, and terribly irresponsible until at least seventh year and by then... it'd be almost too long for me to grow into who I should be, into who I _needed_ to be. Even now I can see myself living that life. Embarrassing myself by asking Lily out time after time, being a git by harassing people, not applying myself to my studies, and ultimately failing to protect those dearest to me. I... he... was blind and all-too-trusting and... I don't want to be that guy anymore. I'm with you, Remus. It's time I started growing up. There's a war going on, and I'm going to fight, and I'm going to _win_."

"And I'll be right there with you," Remus said with a smile, grasping his forearm in a bracing, brotherly way. James grinned, but now it was tinged by his resolve, untempered steel entering his bearing. Remus gave a wry smirk. Yes, there was steel there, just as there was in Sirius, though very very rough in comparison. He briefly wondered if there was a similar steel developing in himself, but pushed the thought to the back of his mind. Right now, they were on vacation and Remus needed a release. "What do you say we plan a prank on Sirius?" James grinned wildly at him.

"Oh, it is on!" he crowed, and the two of them settled down to plan. They may have decided to become soldiers of necessity, but they were still pranksters through and through.

/*/

Sharpsword sent Sirius an owl a little over a month after their initial meeting, and the young Black was all too happy to oblige the Goblin's request of a meeting. "What can I do for you, Master Sharpsword?" Sirius asked as he sank into the chair before the Goblin's desk.

"Read over these papers and sign on the dotted lines. I'm fairly sure everything is in order, but only for the Fund. The Program is proving quite... bothersome," the Goblin answered. Sirius raised an elegant eyebrow. "You see... we need... authorization..."

"Given by the House of Black," Sirius said firmly, authority rolling off him. Sharpsword gave him a rather unimpressed look. "It's my plan, my program, my houses, my say so. If you can't make the Ministry go along with it, send the old fuddy-duddies to me and _I'll_ persuade them. I can be quite persuasive. Ask anyone you like, they'll agree," Sirius said easily, already reading and signing the various forms and papers and legal what-not. Sharpsword would have been lying if he said he wasn't at least a little impressed with the young man for the way he handled himself in the political world he was finding himself in. Sirius glanced up, then smirked, the scars on his left cheek stretching oddly. "Don't worry, Sharpsword, I have that effect on a lot of people. Just don't ask for an autograph. You're got enough of my signatures floating around," he said jokingly. Sharpsword shook his head. And the kid said he was a hundred and fifty. More like fourteen. Then he stopped for a moment, in his own mind, and thought. Wasn't that how old he appeared? A young man of thirteen about to enter his fourteenth year of life? Was it his personality, an act, or a defense? He minutely shook his head. It didn't really matter.

"I don't think so. Sign here," he said, shoving another form under Sirius' pen. Said youth let out a rather long suffering sigh.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" he asked wryly. Sharpsword grinned.

"Why Black, you know how to play?" he said, in a completely un-Goblin-like manner. Sirius paused, then continued reading, signing, and moving on. Five more signatures and he let out a half-sigh-half-whimper.

"Sure I know how to 'play,' but this is getting ridiculous. How much of this do I have to go through just to help people?" he asked. Sharpsword sighed as well.

"Far too much in my opinion," he said. Sirius looked up at this.

"You know... wizards are taught that Goblins don't care for much beyond their gold, their forged items, and war. What are Goblins told of wizards?" he asked. Perhaps not the best question for the situation, but certainly not the worst. He could have asked if Sharpsword was really a Goblin or if he was a cursed wizard. That one could have gotten him killed. As it was, Sharpsword simply smiled at him, though when a Goblin smiles it is rather disconcerting.

"That they do not care for more than their gold, their women, and bloodshed." Sirius shook his head.

"I'm going to write a book one day. 'The Big Book of Misrepresentations' I'll call it. Should be simply _massive_," he said. Sharpsword chuckled. If it were only about Goblins, it would be a fair sized book. Should it include other magical beings not of the human variety... it would be quite large.

"I'd like a signed copy," he said dryly. Sirius returned, in an equally dry tone,

"There are more than enough of my signatures in this office alone." Sharpsword chuckled. Oh yes, he liked this wizard. He was fun to talk to.

/?/

Disclaimer: No. I do not own this.

Anyway... I like Sharpsword. I don't care if he's out of character for a HP Goblin, he's fun. Hard to write, but fun. Next up... Sirius' reaction to the changes in his friends and a sickening amount of Jily fluff. I blame the romance spammers. Simply too many 'how Lily came to realize her feelings' stories out there. Don't worry, I'll try to contain it to this one chapter and then let the story carry itself. Key word 'try.' My muse is strange. Anyway, let me know what you thought.

Proverbs 5:2 (because 3 didn't fit at all)

"That you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:** In Which Sirius is Surprised, Romance is Overrated, and Large Pranks are Pulled

It was September First, nineteen seventy-four, and each of the Marauders were eager to see their friends again. And to dive into their studies. If what Sirius had told them had done anything, it was to make them realize life wasn't a game. Sure it had taken a whole term for most, but they had realized it and that was one of the more important things. When Sirius saw Remus, James, and Peter standing on the platform, shoulder to shoulder, jaws set and eyes hard, he felt like he was being stared down by Aurors. It was rather intimidating, Sirius thought, being faced down by these three. Then again, he could practically see what James and Remus would become. Peter was another matter though. The Peter Sirius had known never had that hard look about him. He had always been rather soft, and scared of his own shadow. Sirius shook his head and faced them, forcing down the painful feeling in his throat as he did. But dang, did they look good. Noble, brave, and determined was certainly a good look for them. Oh, and it made him proud, oh so proud, to have them for friends. "So... what's with the game faces?" he asked, slightly nervous despite his pride and joy. James was the one who spoke, and with far more maturity than he had shown before the middle of sixth year the first time. It was almost eerie really, the changes in James Potter.

"We have come to a decision. We need to get serious about this whole thing. About life. About _living_. Sirius, we pledged our wands to you. Now is the time to step up and actually make that pledge _worth something_. That is what is up with the game faces," James said, steel, still untempered, flashing in his voice, his bearing, his very _being_. Sirius smirked.

"Well then, I guess this means we'll be starting a practical review group," he said, then chuckled. "We'll call it the S.A."

"S.A.?"

"'Sirius' Army,'" Sirius answered, though he knew they wouldn't get the joke. He hadn't told them _everything_. Some of what Harry got up to was best left unsaid. And some of what he himself got up to. And... well, some things were just best left unsaid. Smiling and laughing, the group made their way onto the train, where Lily and Severus joined them in their compartment. Marlene was sitting with her friend Alice, who was likely talking to her about boys. Sirius smirked a little at the thought, but was drawn out of it when Lily squeaked. "What?" he asked. Lily pointed a shaking finger at James. Sirius quirked an eyebrow. "Yes, it's James. What about him?"

"He... he... he said something... _reasonable!_" she squeaked, eyes wide. Sirius rolled his.

"He's been acting like that more and more often, Lily Flower. You just haven't been watching," he said. James smiled nervously and rubbed the back of his head.

"I kinda... did a lot of thinking, over the holiday. About what Sirius said, what he wrote. I... Prongs needed to take a back seat. We're at war, and all too soon, it will be _us_ fighting, not just _the adults_. I realized, that if I wanted to survive, if I wanted to make sure you were safe, I'd need to actually, you know, _do_ something. So... I guess... I've started to... grow up. A bit," James said. Sirius gave him a wide eyed look while Peter and Remus nodded.

"Wow... delayed reaction anyone?" Sirius said, causing Severus' lips to twitch into what some might call a smile. James glared, then tossed a... "Is this a... bean bag... chicken?" Sirius asked, picking the bright... _green?_... item off the floor of the compartment. Peter and Remus grinned evilly and pulled out their own, brightly multicolored and polka-dotted, bean bag chickens.

"Why yes, they are," Remus said before chucking a bright red one at Lily. Her eyes flashed and a similarly devious grin spread across her face.

"BEAN BAG CHICKEN FIGHT!" she yelled, launching the bright red chicken back at Remus, who laughed and threw a blue one at Severus. Soon, at least seven bean bag chickens were sailing through the air as the friends let loose and allowed themselves to be children for just a while longer. They had at least three years in which to temper and sharpen the skills and mindsets that would allow them to fight for their very survival.

/*/

James stared at the canopy of his four poster bed. He was thinking, long and hard, about the reaction Lily had had when he had said... actually... he didn't even remember what he said on the train mere hours before. He frowned, trying to remember, but all he got was the shocked look on his crush's face. Sure Sirius had said that, in one time line, they got together and had a Quittich playing, Dark lord defeating, red head loving, witty, caring, Gryffindor baby, but... would it happen now? Did he want it to happen? He paused for a moment and let that thought swim around his mind. Yes. Oh yes did he want that! Lily was... perfectly imperfect. She wasn't exactly lady like, she wasn't too bossy, she wasn't _interested_, she didn't care about the skills he showed off, she didn't really want to give him much attention, she disapproved of several of his prank ideas, she found his sense of humor lacking at best, and yet... And yet she laughed. She may try to hide it, but she found it all at least a little amusing, as long as no-one got well and truly _hurt_ by it. But... why was the shock on her face so... cutting? So he wasn't exactly what she believed, was it really so unreasonable? No-one was a goofy, idiotic, slacker all the time, not like she thought _he_ was anyway. He groaned, rolling over and staring at the wall instead. _Did my decision really make that much of a change?_ He wondered, watching the shadows dance on the wall. He sighed and closed his eyes, wishing for sleep to come, but instead all he got was Lily. Screaming, shocked, glaring, laughing, smiling, snarling, happy, mad, sad, _disbelieving, __**hurt**_... his heart constricted as images of Lily with that hurt look in her soul piercing green eyes swam against the back of his eyelids. He got very little sleep that night and when breakfast came, he somehow found himself sitting beside Lily. Groaning softly, he grabbed the nearest blueberry muffin and broke it open, spreading butter on the warm insides of the baked good. He ignored everyone around him, especially Lily, as he focused on his muffin. It wasn't until he was sipping at his earl gray tea, which was absolutely perfect, did he realize he _hadn't_ fixed himself a cup of tea. "Um, that would be mine, Potter," Lily's voice said from beside him. He looked at the cup in shock and horror before jerking to look at Lily, who was maddeningly amused.

"I'm so sorry Lily! I was so focused on my breakfast I didn't realize... You make excellent tea," he finished lamely. Lily simply laughed.

"You really aren't a morning person, are you?" she asked, her emerald green eyes sparkling with mirth.

"Er... actually... I can generally fake being awake for at least two hours before I get like this and by that point... History of Magic rolls around and after that I'm right as rain. I just... didn't sleep well last night," James said, blinking rapidly. Lily chuckled, because she didn't giggle, and shook her head. Pulling out a brush, she attacked his unruly hair. "Um... Lily? You do know it _never_ lays down... right?" he asked.

"You get my tea, I get to wrestle with your hair. Fair's fair!" she said, all too chipper. James groaned, but after one more sip of Lily's heavenly tea, he didn't care if the entire school was staring or if his mother herself were there. He was drinking that tea!

/*/

Lily had laid awake for a good while as well, only she was thinking of James. She couldn't remember exactly what he had said to made her squeak, but she could remember the way he looked as he said it. Noble, brave, honest, kind. It made her head spin just thinking about it. And his voice! What was _wrong_ with her? She only tagged along because Sirius, that strange yet lovable idiot, was there. And Severus. But somehow, James was worming his way into her heart. She shook her head and slept. At breakfast, she had purposely sat by James to see if she could peg down what was happening. When she had seen his face, her heart went out to him. He looked so tired, so worn, like he had been wrestling with some great and terrible truth. Then he looked at her and she felt her throat constrict. His eyes were... shadowed. Haunted. Like he didn't want to see anything more. And it was worse when he saw her. Surprise and pain flitted through those hazel orbs before focusing on the table and buttering his muffin. She was mildly surprised to see him going for the same blueberry muffins she adored, but said nothing as she finished eating her own muffin. That was when she realized that James was acting like several other people who had undoubtedly been dragged out of bed by their friends. Like he wasn't quite awake and was simply acting on autopilot. She glanced back over to see his eyes drooping and decided that a sleepy James was simply adorable, even if he had dark circles under his eyes. She finished making her tea and paused, allowing the tea to cool. Then James' hand reached out and took the cup. Startled, she looked over at him to see him breathing in the aroma with a blissful look on his face. Then he sipped it and looked like he had found tea nirvana. She almost didn't want to do it, but she did anyway. She told him it was her's. The look on his face was painful, and yet amazingly adorable. Then he started to sputter an apology before complementing her tea. She chuckled, refusing to giggle at the bleary eyed boy. "You really aren't a morning person, are you?" she asked, her emerald green eyes sparkling with mirth.

"Er... actually... I can generally fake being awake for at least two hours before I get like this and by that point... History of Magic rolls around and after that I'm right as rain. I just... didn't sleep well last night," James said, blinking rapidly. Lily chuckled, because she didn't giggle, and shook her head. Pulling out a brush, she attacked his unruly hair. "Um... Lily? You do know it _never_ lays down... right?" he asked.

"You get my tea, I get to wrestle with your hair. Fair's fair!" she sang out, enjoying messing with the messy haired boy. He was right though, his hair simply wouldn't lay down. It grew that way. And it was _soft_. She hadn't expected it to be so soft, nor for it to smell like a forest. She looked back down at James to see he was enraptured by her tea. She allowed a small giggle to herself and turned back to his hair, simply playing with it now.

"We have a forest behind our mansion," James said suddenly. Lily froze, her nose still in his hair. There was amusement in his tone though, so he mustn't be too terribly upset.

"It's... did you... cool," she said, sitting back down, at a loss. James chuckled and handed her a cup.

"A cuppa for a cuppa," he said, eyes dancing. Lily swallowed down a blush and took the cup. After the first sip, she was wondering if James had cast gemino on her's. It was absolutely perfect! James chuckled. "You like your tea just like mine. It wasn't hard to get it right," he said gently. Lily shook her head and looked at her schedule, hoping she'd have to dash off to class so she could think about what she had done, what she had been thinking. That was when Sirius and Regulus decided to crash the table. Literally. They crashed into it, actually managing to make it skid a bit. Lily glared at them, but was glad to see that her tea had not been sacrificed. No-one messed with the tea! Except, perhaps, James. Laughing, the Brother Black looked up at the pair.

"Yes, he does go flying in the evergreen forest behind his mansion. And yeah, he's just as loaded as my family, maybe more. And he could put Malfoy to shame in practically anything. He's awesome like that," Sirius said. Regulus snickered, the wild grin on his face making him look like a miniature Sirius, and said,

"Yeah, and his pillow is stuffed with heather." James glowered at the pair.

"Buzz off you mangy mutts. I was having a perfectly normal conversation with Miss Evans before you lot crashed into us," he said. Sirius shook his head.

"Ah, but that's not how it goes Jamesie. You're supposed to chase after her for six years then, in seventh year, become Head Boy to her Head Girl and you'd act like you gave up on her and thus show her the real you and one thing would lead to another and hey presto! Lily and James, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G~!" he said. James scowled.

"I don't want to have to wait until seventh year for her to look at me with something other than disgust," he said. Lily looked at him sharply, surprise bleeding through to her face. James growled and stood, storming out of the Great Hall. Regulus shared a look with Sirius, then they both looked at a blushing Lily.

"Lily... bad form," Regulus said seriously. The Brothers Black then left Lily sitting at her table, staring at her empty plate and the perfect cup of tea James had made to replace the one he took, and she began to cry. Finally, after far too long, she pulled herself together and went to her first class. Lily had no idea what was wrong with her. She had never been like this before! Somehow, she made it through the day. When she got to her dorm, she pulled out a quill and a piece of parchment and began to write. When she was done, she sealed it and quickly slid out of her room. She didn't have an Invisibility Cloak, nor did she know the Disillusionment Charm, but she could get past people without them noticing. And so, she made her way to James' dorm and slid the letter under the door before vanishing back to her own dorm room. It wouldn't do for any one to catch her there, not now. Maybe, after James read the letter, she could be seen by his door, but not now.

/*/

James ripped the letter open, then fell to his bed in shock. _Dear James... wow that felt weird. And yet, perfect. I don't know what's wrong with me. I've been... busy. Severus ran away from home and came to live with us but I knew Tobias wouldn't just let him go and convinced mom and dad we needed to move. Mom wanted to adopt Severus, but he turned her down, saying that he was content just having a place to sleep. And Petunia's been acting oddly. I know Sirius said she grew to resent magic, and me, and then took it out on an orphan, and I've seen her starting too, but it's like the process is going backwards. And she blushes when Severus complements her. Could she... but no. Why would she? Anyway, the only theory I can come up with is that... Petunia's developing a crush on Severus. And, here's the really strange part, he's encouraging it. It's not really noticeable, but I've known him for a long time and have hung out with enough Slytherins to know he wants her to like him. Anyway, so there's my business. But that's not what I wanted to tell you. I wanted to apologize for how I've been acting toward you. You've always been a... friend. A good friend. I have never _hated_ you, but I never really... liked you as more than a friends. Then you went and did... whatever it was that happened over the summer and suddenly, I don't know you anymore. It's like... you're not you and it... it startled me. James, I'm beginning to develop feelings for you that I can't describe. So please, don't take anything I say or do too hard. I'm trying to come to grips with the changes in you and... it's going to take a while. Please, give me a chance. It feels kind of odd for me to be the one saying that but...I need a chance to _actually_ get to know you. _You_, not Prongs. Not the crazy Prankster King of Gryffindor. James Charlus Potter, the man who might one day change the world. And... I'd like you to get to know me, the real me. So... would you like to go to Hogsmead with me next month? I know it's quite a ways but, I figured, with you being so popular, I'd need to jump the gun so to speak. Beat the line. So... yeah. I'll... tell you more later... maybe. Right now, I think you have enough to think on._

_With Love, (still so weird, yet so right)_

_Lily Evans._ Still staring at the letter, James began to grin. Suddenly, he burst into action, quickly bounding over to his desk and penning a response.

/*/

_Lily-Flower... no, not quite right. My dearest Tiger Lily... yeah, that's better. Shows more about how I feel about you. Okay, that was just plain awkward. Anyway, thanks for the letter. Like I said, I did a lot of thinking over the holiday and I'd assume... more of the man came through. So... yeah, I'll give you a chance, but only if you give me a chance. NO matter what you see, no matter what you find, no matter what you hear, you have to give me a chance to explain it. That means giving me at least six seconds to start talking before you hex or jinx or charm or curse me. Also, I'd like our agreement to last for a month. Can we do that? Let me know the next time you see me... if I'm not dashing down the hallway laughing like a loon with a maniacal grin on my face. That would be Prongs having some fun. Hogwarts needs a little pranking to lighten up these dour halls, ya know? Ooooooooooh... lightening the walls... I need to tell Padfoot about that! The bean bag chicken fight was good, but this will be for more people! No! Bad Prongs! Focus! AAAAHHH! Frank! WHY WOULD YOU _DO_ THAT?! Okay, I'm sorry Lily, but Frank is just _begging_ to be pranked._

_Yours forever,_

_James C. Potter, AKA; Prongs_. Lily shook her head. So this was his reply. Well, he was a prankster. And he was only fourteen. She could excuse some of his childishness. For now.

"Why am I acting like some damsel in a bad fanfiction? Come on Lily, stop thinking about romance and focus on what needs to be done. Like homework. And figuring out how to use what I know to help Sirius take down Snake Face. Yeah. I'll do that. After my potions essay," she muttered under her breath. And so, she set to work on her homework and the sappy romance drama was put to an end... for the moment.

/*/

Severus sighed as he spotted yet another letter on his bed. Honestly, he was friends with Black, didn't they realize that they'd never get him to join a psychopathic murdering hypocrite? Not that they knew he was a hypocrite, but the psychopathic murder bit held up _and_ was the main reason he wouldn't be joining. He shook his head again, picked up the letter, threw it in the air, and lit it on fire with a wordless _incindio_. "And another one gone~ And another one gone~ Another one bites the dust~!" Severus groaned.

"Must you do that _every_ time someone tried to recruit me, Sirius?" he asked, turning to face the wildly grinning Sirius Black, who was leaning against the doorpost. Sirius simply chuckled, shoved off the doorpost, and _glided_ over to his friend.

"Must you burn them every time?" he asked, poking at the still smoldering ashes of the latest Death Eater Recruitment Offer.

"Yes," Severus bit out, severely displeased, glaring at the aforementioned ashes. Sirius sighed and stood, only a slight pause as his scarred knee protested minutely.

"You know, you could do something permanent about these... _offers_," the Traveler said. Severus sighed as well and fell back on his bed.

"Like what? Declare my allegiance to Dumbledore? Kiss a muggleborn? Propose marriage to a muggleborn? Tell everyone I'm dating a full on muggle?" he asked, only slightly rhetorically. He was really hoping that Sirius would answer the first question honestly. A frighteningly shark-like grin appeared on his friend's face and he felt the blood leave his face.

"The last one," Sirius _purred_, causing Severus to shiver.

"A, I'm not. B, don't you _ever_ speak like that around me _ever_ again. It's creepy. And C, who _would_ I date?" he said once he had gotten himself mostly under control. Sirius chuckled, his eyes sparking.

"You could be, I make no promises, and what about Petunia? From what I've heard, she's been behaving oddly around you ever since you joined that house," he said, that old, familiar mischievous look coming over him. Severus groaned and fell backwards onto his bed, flopping an arm over his eyes in a rare moment of melodrama.

"Could you imagine what Lily would say if I started dating her sister? She'd never let me live it down!" he moaned. Sirius snickered, because he _did not_ giggle, and said,

"Just like you wouldn't let her live it down if she actually _did_ date James?" Severus glared at him.

"Choke on your pancakes," he growled. Sirius' cocky grin never faltered.

"Love you too Sevikins!" The potions prodigy's eyes snapped.

"What did you call me?" he asked dangerously. Sirius' grin grew just a little bit evil.

"Sevikins!" Sirius didn't know what hit him and it wasn't until breakfast that anyone questioned where he was. Professor Slughorn was not well pleased, but the rest of the Marauders snickered at Sirius' plight.

"You reap what you sow, oh brother of mine!" Regulus sang as Sirius, still covered in glue like goop, feathers, and walking with a more pronounced limp passed him on the way to the Hospital Wing. Sirius didn't talk to anyone for a week, aside from the teachers. This was no great loss as far as many people were concerned. Then came the Great Marshmallow War of Nineteen Seventy-Four. It lasted an entire meal and it took months for the smell to leave, though there was still a sweetness to the air for years. Everyone quite firmly blamed Sirius when really, it had been Remus who spelled the marshmallows. No-one ever suspects the quite, studious ones. Stupid everyone, never suspecting the quite ones. They're more often than not the dangerous ones.

/*/

It was three months into Sirius' fourth year, and he was fed up with the defense teacher. "That's it! Marauders! Friends! Countrymen! And women! Follow me!" Sirius suddenly yelled during dinner that night. Hearing the call, those who had pledged their wands to his cause followed him. He lead them to the Room of Requirement and paced, wishing for an training room. "We will no longer be having Marauder Meets. No. Now, we shall have Death Eater Butt Kicking Training!" Sirius cried as he opened the training room he had requested. His friends whistled while those who had pledged their wands stared at Sirius.

"How did you think _this_ up? It looks so..." began Frank.

"Serious," finished Kingsley. Sirius chuckled evilly.

"Can you keep a secret?" he asked in a childish voice. Those 'in the know' shivered. When Sirius played like that, prankggedon was looking to make an appearance in somebody's life. Everyone nodded, but Sirius wasn't about to let up. "If you want me to tell you... swear it on your magic." They started.

"What?" asked Edgar. Sirius rounded on him.

"You heard me. Take a Wizard's Oath that whatever you learn here, be it magic or information, is never told to another. What magic you learn here, any tactics, any strategy, anything even remotely warlike, is to be used. Not revealed, not shared, used. Used to take down Voldemort and his ilk. Swear it!" Sirius said, growing more agitated as he spoke. The others stepped back, startled, and a little afraid, of this new side to the fun loving Black. But, one by one, they raised their wands and swore the Oath. Sirius nodded. "I'm not really from this world. I am still Sirius Orion Black, but this is my second time living this life, and it is vastly different. Why? Because I remember. What do I remember? My whole, miserable, war torn life, and then some. I was an Auror, in that other world. A Gryffindor Auror, and a follower of Dumbledore. In that world, Dumbledore formed an organization, if you can call it that, to fight Voldy. It was purely reflexive and largely ineffective. While still better than the Auror Corps. Dumbledore's 'Order of the Phoenix' wasn't all that great. And it got people killed. People like Marlene. Death Eaters wiped out her family. I was a part of this so-called Order. So were the rest of the Marauders. But in our close group of four, there was a traitor. Peter, who in that time line felt left out, overshadowed, turned dark for recognition. All it got him was a lot of stress, fear, two dead friends, a homicidal third out for his blood, a broken fourth, and life as a rat. But, that is in the past. I'm working toward the future. A future that is so different I can no longer predict it. This is how I like it. Not knowing, 100%, what is going to happen. It makes it _real_. But enough of that. What _we_ are going to be doing, is a modified Auror training program. Why modified? Because Aurors are unimaginative. We, are going to be..." here he put on what they all called his Evil Pranking Genius Grin and laughed evilly, "_creative."_ Everyone shivered at the way he said it. Some even pitied the Death Eaters for what was to come. Just a little. It _was_ Sirius they were going to be facing after all. What followed was too monotonous and yet too traumatizing to be written here. I'll just let you use your imagination for it. Suffice it to say, everyone was tired, barely able to move, and absolutely terrified by the name Black by the time it was done. Sirius was still perky, however, and this made his 'recruits' hate him just a little bit more. Sirius didn't care. He was having fun! Who knew it was so amusing watching people fumble and fail at a basic Auror obstacle course? Sirius hadn't! Severus would have shivered at the evil laughter emanating from his roommate's bed if he'd had the energy. As it was, he was too worn out from the so-called training to do much of anything. But the rest of the dorm did. They prayed that the poor soul who had earned Sirius' attention would survive the next encounter.

/*/

The next day, all the teachers watched Sirius' little group, wary of pranks. But, all they found were tired students. Remus got snapped at in charms to pay attention and smiled it off, James got reprimanded for sleeping in Divination and claimed he was trying to access his 'Inner Eye' by 'shutting out the energies of the outside world.' His professor bought it. Sirius breezed through his classes while poking Severus, all too gleefully, to make sure he didn't fall asleep. Lily was used to all nighters and didn't have much trouble, but Peter got snapped at in Care of Magical Creatures for 'daydreaming.' He surprised everyone by glaring and snapping back. "I'd like to see you pay full attention after a night of practical Defense review with Sirius Black as the tutor!" he had said heatedly. The professor had paled slightly and let Peter sit out. News that Black had simply led his group in a practical Defense review spread, and the teachers shivered. Nothing was ever that simple with Sirius Black. Sirius' group were worked to the bone every night, but none of them quit. They'd see him stand, stretch his neck, stick his hands in his pockets, and follow him up to the Room. It only took a month for them to stop falling asleep in class, but it took three before they stopped aching in the morning. When Sirius found that they weren't wincing even slightly, an evil grin stole across his face and the group felt a premonition of doom. They were not disappointed. That night, he fired tickling charms at them while they ran the obstacle course and stinging hexes if they slowed down during the standard Auror workout. While he did it all with them. And laughed. It took another month and a half for them to get their dodging and stamina to the point where they weren't in near constant pain. Sirius was quite pleased with their progress, all in all. Remus was beginning to show the same easy, loping grace and confidence that had always put Sirius at ease in the future, as was James. Said youth's Quiditch performance was affected by the workouts and training as well. He was faster, stronger, more observant, and had even greater dexterity, making more spectacular catches. Severus wasn't too happy at first, but once Lily told him, with a devious smirk, the Petunia wouldn't be able to speak straight around him he quite complaining, though his cheeks still turned a bit red whenever Lily smirked at him. Frank and Kingsley were in much the same position as James and Remus, but Peter and Regulus threw Sirius for a bit of a loop. He found that once Peter had an outlet for all the extra food he consumed, the sandy haired boy cleaned up nice. He wasn't the handsomest guy in the castle, but he was solidly in the rather nice looking category. Plus he had a level of determination Sirius had never seen in him. In the original time line, Peter had always hero worshiped James and Sirius but here, he didn't. In the other world, Peter had always been out of shape, pudgy, and far too timid or scared. Now he was thinner, more confident, and was beginning to show some definition. And Regulus... well. He wasn't as harried looking. Harry had once said, or rather thought, that Regulus had lacked his brother's good looks. Said big brother was beginning to think it was simply all the stress and fear and pressure and darkness that surrounded his brother that made it so. Regulus was happy. And strong. And brave, smart, quick, cheeky, sarcastic, witty, funny, and amazing. And dangerous. He took to spells like a fish to water and was even beginning to improve on age old classics. It made Sirius so proud, and yet... it made him wonder. Had Voldemort used Reggie as a researched? A spellcrafter? Had Regulus been the one to help him find new and darker ways to use magic? Had any of Regulus' spells been used? Or had Regulus come up with fantastic ideas, but never finished them? Never polished them to the point where they could be used? Sirius shook the questions from his mind. It would not do to dwell on the past, even if it was the future to everyone else. News of attacks and deaths flooded the Great Hall at every meal and Sirius' 'practical reviews' grew more and more grueling, but no-one actively complained. They knew what this all meant to Sirius. They may not know everything the man had been through, but they knew enough to know it had likely driven him to insanity and back. Which was why he had taken the chance to go back, to start over, so quickly. So willingly. His life had been horrible and their entire generation died unhappily. The teachers noticed how some of the group had to beg out of classes and weren't pleased. So, Sirius was called to the headmaster's office for a talk.

/*/

Sirius glared at the gargoyle that guarded the headmaster's office. "Ice mice," he said, as if it were the most solemn thing in the world. He could have sworn the stone creature had smirked as it slid out of the way. Settling into the self-confident walk of an Auror who has faced down near certain death, as well as an innocent man who had escaped Azkaban, Sirius made his way up to Dumbledore's office and strode in without bothering to knock. Dumbledore masked his exasperation rather quickly and offered a lemon drop, which Sirius turned down. "Please, Dumbledore, let us get down to business. Why don't you tell me why you've called me here, hum?"

"Fine. Why are you working your... study group... so hard?" Dumbledore asked with a sigh. Sirius didn't miss the pause at 'study group,' but he didn't feel like indulging the old man.

"You are blind, not to see what is staring you in the face," Sirius said, voice as cold as the Artic. He allowed a little of his After-Image to show, especially in his eyes. "War is unavoidable at this time. _Death_ is _unavoidable_. And it shall be my generation that cleans up the mess of this generation, Albus. Do not speak of what you do not know." Dumbledore was a bit rattled by this. Sirius' voice had taken on the dark, knowing quality that many master Aurors had. It was only natural really. He had been one of the top Aurors in his time and then Harry had gone on to be Head Auror.

"You're wrong," Dumbledore began, but Sirius cut him off before he could go any farther.

"Am I? Look around, Albus. What do you see? I see a battlefield. Us and Them. Light and Dark. But I also see Everyone Else. I see Gray. You, however, refuse to see Everyone Else and Gray. What you see as a No-Man's-Land I see as a country. We are at war already, Albus. With every black letter, with every newspaper, that fact is glaring at you and what do you do? Nothing I can see. You say killing is inexcusable, I say killing can sometimes be more merciful than letting them live. Yes, the Bible says killing is wrong, but then does it not tell of warrior kings who were ordered to wipe out entire cities? This is war, and I am a warrior. I will fight, and I will kill, and I will protect. What will you do, Albus?" Dumbledore was at a loss as to what to say. What could he say? Sirius gave him a sad, yet dark, look as he stood. "I believe we're done here. Until next time, Headmaster," the elder Black Brother said as he breezed out the door and swept down the stairs. Albus Dumbledore was left speechless in his wake, pondering his words.

"There is one thing I have learned of you, Sirius Black, and that is that there is far more to you than any know," Albus sighed, sitting back. Yes, Sirius Black was a puzzle, and likely one Albus Dumbledore would be unable to solve.

/?/

A/N: Say, what do you want Regulus to be doing? Submit scene ideas for Regulus, Severus, Peter, and Lily via review or PM and I'll see what I can do! Just no more romance. There's enough of that junk in this chapter. Congratulations if it didn't make you puke!


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill. None of this is mine... aside from any names you don't recognize or changes to cannon. Enjoy!

**Chapter 12:** Housemates and Grandparents

Peter was happy, even if Sirius' training was killer. He was distancing himself ever farther from Wormtail! Sirius never said it outright, but he could see it when he looked over at his training, in the glances and poorly hidden double takes. Peter wasn't vain, but knowing that Sirius wouldn't be seeing the traitor every time he looked at him gave Peter a great deal of joy. And there was the little matter of Animagi training. Peter and James were well on their way, but when Sirius began training them to transform during the group training, Regulus and Severus had ganged up on the Black to get him to teach the others as well. Severus had even offered to brew a rather difficult potion that would temporarily transform them into their Animagus form. Sirius had been forced to relent, but had not left without a parting shot to Severus. "I bet you'll be a bat," he said. Severus had smirked.

"Mangy mutt," he quipped. Sirius grinned and transformed into Padfoot, making Severus' return useless.

"Arf!" Padfoot barked, still in puppy form due to Sirius' young physical age.

"Yes, and I bet you were truly terrifying in your day, puppy breath," Severus said, though no-one could tell if he was trying to mock Sirius or complement him.

"Yes I was, and don't call me puppy breath!" Sirius said, transforming back to human with a muted pop. Severus arched an eyebrow and Peter interfered before their spat grew into something more.

"I'm sure he was, and really Severus. Puppy breath? Dictionary breath was better and _Sirius_ came up with it. Come on you guys, don't fight over something as stupid as this!" he said. Sirius gave him a calculating look, then nodded.

"You're right. Well, I have some arithmancy homework to do so... ta," the Black said before leaving. "Don't forget to lock up!" Peter shook his head, but smiled. That was Sirius for you. Never serious. Peter sighed, but got back to his training. He was having some trouble getting the spells right, especially his Charms. Then it was like a light bulb went off in his head.

"OI! Lily! Could you work with me on Charms? I'm pretty horrible as it is," he called. Lily chuckled, but came over to help. They worked mostly on lower level charms, seeing as Regulus had come up with some pretty scary ideas using them. Reverse bubble head charms that took air away from a person, levitation and banishing charms to send bombs over enemy lines, frightening uses for both the freezing charm and freezing spell, creative use of fur charms, and even a variant of the color changing charm that incorporated a bit of transfiguration as well. Due to the large amount of charms, Peter was at a bit of a disadvantage, though he was rather good with explosions. Not as good as Seamus Finnagan would be, but pretty good all the same. Soon, they called it a night and went to their respective Houses. Peter was still running some of the charms over in his head when he entered his room, so he was surprised when he got jumped by his roommates.

"It's time for a party!" a ginger haired boy named Rufus chimed.

"Yeah, and you _have_ to attend Pete!" a brunette by the name of Jaycenth piped up.

"Eh? Why? I just got back from Sirius' Review of DOOM! You can't expect me to..."

"TO THE SHOWERS!" shouted Amos and off they went, dragging poor Peter with them. They undressed him and tossed him unceremoniously into the shower. Sighing, Peter nonetheless showered, but he took his own sweet time doing so, just to annoy them. When he exited, with nothing but a towel wrapped around him, his roommates rounded on him, only to freeze as they got a good look at him. Sure it had only been about four and a half months, but Sirius was working them like crazy in Muggle martial arts as well as the basic Auror stuff, so there was more than a little definition to Peter's body. He quirked an eyebrow, his normally slightly watery eyes growing hard.

"Got something to say?" he asked, voice chilly. He hadn't quite gotten to the point where he could freeze a man with just his voice. His roommates swiftly shook off their paralysis and dragged Peter over to Rufus' trunk. Peter was about to ask why, when he glanced over at Rufus and paled. Rufus was on the Quiditch team and liked to show off what being a beater gave him. "You are _kidding me!_" he screamed, fighting their hold, and nearly winning. "I am not wearing a muscle shirt! You can't make me!" he screamed, fighting harder as Jaycenth ruffled through Rufus' mini-colection. Amos shook his head at Peter, though he was a little surprised the sandy haired youth was so strong and was rather glad that Rufus was helping him.

"We're going to a _Hufflepuff_ party. So yeah, you're borrowing one of Rufus' shirts. And maybe some pants. Gosh Pete, I'm surprised at you! Hanging out with Black and Potter, I would have thought you'd update your wardrobe for your new physique," Amos said. Peter twisted around to glare at him, unlocking a new level of Hard Eye.

"I. Am. Not. Wearing. A. MUSCLE SHIRT!" he said, screaming the last part in his captor's ear. Amos shrieked and nearly let go. Nearly.

"Wow. I didn't know you could scream that loud. But you're not getting out of this, Mr. Pettigrew!" Rufus said, grinning. Peter glared, unlocking his Evil Eye ability.

"I will end you. Slowly. Painfully. _Humiliatingly_. And I'll get Sirius to help. Possibly Regulus. Oh, Regulus is a creative little bugger I'll tell you that. And devious. Dangerous. Yes, as dangerous as his brother. Possibly more so. Yes, you will fall," Peter hissed poisonously, something he had been unable to do before then. One should not underestimate the horror of a muscle shirt. No-one. Nor should they underestimate what said horror could force a man to do. But, Peter was still overpowered and forced into an outfit of Rufus' in the end. Luckily, it wasn't really a muscle shirt. It was, however, much smaller than the shirts Peter had been wearing and clearly showed he had some muscle tone. He showed up at the party wearing slightly baggy, murky blue, cargo pants, his usual trainers, and a black tank top with a short sleeved denim shirt that had been patched together from old blue jeans. And a scowl. "I hate you all," Peter growled. His roommates laughed and left to mingle, until Jaycenth came back five minutes later with a pretty little blond.

"This is the guy I was telling you about! You know, the one who's learning to be an Auror?" the young man laughed. Peter glared at him.

"I am not learning to be an Auror. I'm just learning to defend myself in multiple different way," he said. When they didn't seem to believe him, he glared. "I hate you all," he repeated. The blond girl paled a little, but Jaycenth just laughed.

"See? Auror intimidation! Actually, he's just mad because we made him borrow some of Rufus' clothes. He usually dresses much more like a book worm. Can you guess who he is?" the boy asked.

"Now would be a good time to test out those modified color changers Regulus has been working on. I'm sure you'd look marvelous with a bright pink mohawk," Peter said with a feral grin. The girl gasped and shrieked,

"PETER PETTIGREW?!" The entire room turned to look at Peter, who felt his cheeks begin to heat. Then he pictured them all looking like punk rockers. A devious smirk stretched across his face.

"_Maeandri stilo mutans colorem,_" he intoned as he waved his wand in a vaguely star shaped pattern. Soon, the whole room had a Marauder punk style makeover. "There, now you can all suffer the indignity of being ripped away from your own wardrobe with me," he said with a grin that was eerily like Sirius'.

"I didn't know... OI! Jayden! Why don't you join Peter? Whatever he's doing certainly seems to be doing him good!" one of the older girls called, presumable to her boyfriend. Peter shook his head.

"Oh, you don't want to do that. Sirius already has the danger level set to three. Pretty much everyone here, aside from the Quiditch players _maybe_, would quite likely die if they tried to jump in. He might go easy on you, but I doubt it. He's a sadistic trainer. He uses stinging and tickling hexes during the workout so we don't slow down and so we work on our dodging. It's why James and Sirius are so good on the pitch," he said. The others paled. "But, you guys wanted a party right? Well, let the good times roll!" Peter added, shooting a spell that Sirius had developed at the DJ stand and changing the music to suit everyone's new look. After that, most people just let Peter do what he wanted. They learned their lesson.

/*/

Lily was having an easier time. Well, okay, she wasn't, but there were no muscle shirts involved so it was a bit better. Still, she was being hounded by her roommates about her budding feelings for James. They had found his letter, the nosy little witches. Lily sighed, falling back onto her bed. "Honestly, Alice, Marlene, there's nothing to tell. You read the letter, that's all there is," she maintained. Marlene rolled her eyes.

"Oh sure, that's all. Lily, I saw you at breakfast! You're totally crushing on James!" she countered. Lily glared, but said nothing. Marlene sighed and played with the letter some more. "I suppose I'll just have to ask Sirius then. You know he doesn't hide anything from me," she said, smirking at her friend. Lily glared, thinking about when Sirius had told her about his past life. He had given more general information then. Including that in one time line, she and James got married and had a kid. An awesome, handsome, caring, butt kicking kid with a mind like a steel trap. Sure it was a rusty steel trap, but it was a steel trap. How else could he have come out of the Dursleys with his sanity mostly intact?

"He won't tell because there is nothing to tell!" she said. Marlene rolled her eyes.

"Then I'll just ask about the future he saw! Surly, he'd know if you two ended up together," she said. Lily fought to keep her reaction internal.

"You wouldn't," she hissed. Her friend gave her a devious smirk.

"Try me." Lily threw her hands up in the air with a groan.

"FINE! I want to get to know the real James Potter, not just the prankster," she said. Marlene smiled.

"Was that so hard? Now, do you like what you've seen so far?" Lily sighed, giving in to defeat.

"Yes, I have. Happy?"

"Yeah sure. But you'll have to tell me how Petunia and Severus progress if you don't want me begging you for date details!" Marlene said. Lily glared.

"Fine, because Severus is _not_ hitting on my sister!" Marlene snorted.

"Yeah right! I saw James re-reading your letter during training. I was able to read over his shoulder. Sev is totally going for your sister," she said. Lily sighed again, knowing Marlene was right.

"Fine. I'll summarize Pet's letters to me if you leave me alone about James."

"Done! Now let me tell you what Sirius did. He asked me on a real date! Sure we're just going to Hogsmead, but he asked me! Isn't it great?! And of course I'll tell you how it went. For a Slytherin, Sirius is a real gentleman. Though, if he was in Gryffindor in a past life, I can sorta see why," Marlene rambled. Lily rolled her eyes again.

"Marlene... don't you think you're being a bit pushy?" Alice asked. She was 'in the know' because of Frank, who she was currently seeing. Marlene sighed and went to take a shower. Lily tossed a thankful look to Alice, who smiled back before getting ready for her own shower.

/*/

Regulus wearily made his way to his bed after his shower. That night had been one of his roughest. He had discovered that while his magical skills were top notch for his age, and maybe a fair bit beyond, his non-magical skills were sorely lacking. So he had asked Kingsley to work one-on-one with him for the whole night. Kingsley was the best at non-magical fighting and had not gone easy on him. Sirius had simply nodded when he passed them on his rounds. He said that Kingsley had been one of the better Aurors in the past-future. That added to the fact that he was naturally built for physically demanding tasks made him a dangerous opponent, but the large man was able to help Regulus develop his own fighting style that was just as dangerous. When his keen intellect was added in, he would be a very dangerous fighter indeed. However, at the moment, he was a very tired, very sore, still rather skinny second year whose affiliation with Sirius' group was about to garner him unwanted attention. "So... rough night in Fight Club?" Ryan asked. Regulus groaned. Ryan was one of his least favorite people.

"Fight Club? No. Kingsley just wanted to show me a few moves. Unfortunately, I have less stamina than Kingsley and he ran too long. There is no Fight Club," Regulus replied. Ryan snorted.

"The first rule of Fight Club is there is no Fight Club. Besides, everyone knows that, not only are you his brother, but you're also involved in Sirius Black's little review sessions. Sessions that leave everyone involved sore and tired. So, what happened?"

"I'm under Oath to say nothing. Even if I wanted to tell, my mouth is sealed. It's not worth my life to indulge your curiosity," Regulus maintained. Ryan growled.

"It'd take your magic, not your life." Regulus' eyes were near lifeless as they turned on the other boy. Regulus had enacted his Scary Eye ability.

"Sirius would kill me for being a traitor," he said tonelessly. The room seemed to cool by several degrees. Ryan fell back, horrified by what his roommate had said about his brother. Then he considered how Sirius acted and paled. He was the kind of guy who would do that, and slowly. It was then decided by all who had heard to steer clear of Sirius and all affiliated with him. It wasn't worth the mental scarring and risk of permanent physical harm. Regulus never heard any of this. He was too busy snoring by that time. All the same, he and all his friends were now off limits to at least one more year group, even if it was just the boys.

/*/

Sirius watched Severus as the other boy struggled with the bed sheets. It seemed that the rest of Slytherin had decided that Severus was a traitor and were determined to make his life miserable. Whether this was to turn him or to drive him into madness neither knew. Sirius was largely left alone, though that could have been because of the Black's reputation for creative and humiliating revenge, which also had the annoying tendency to be rather painful. "You should prank them," Sirius said, flicking his wand to sort out the other boy's bed for him. Severus glared, then jumped on his bed, making it messy. Sirius raised a surprised eyebrow. "Why did you do that?"

"Because!" Severus shouted, frustration clear in the way he held himself. Sirius' expression didn't change at all. "And besides, who would I prank?" A dangerous smile spread across Sirius' face.

"Oh, you'll know. You just go to sleep. _I'll_ take care of identifying the scoundrels."

"Don't break him. We need someone to practice interrogation techniques on," Severus said. Sirius laughed his evil laugh, pleased with Severus' sadistic suggestion.

"Understood, but it will be _you_ doing the interrogation practice," he said. Severus shook his head, but laid down all the same. He was woken up roughly six hours later by the screams of Augustus Rookwood when he sprung Sirius' trap.

"A rope trap? Really? Isn't that one of the oldest and most obvious traps ever?" Severus asked, considering the slightly bouncing form dangling before him. Sirius laughed mightily.

"Yeah, but it almost always works on wizards! Funny huh?" he asked, grinning as he stepped out of the shadows, the illusion around his bed falling.

"You used a glamor? On you _bed?!_" Rookwood asked. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Isn't it obvious? Yes, I did. And you fell for it. Now, Why were you going after Severus?" he answered.

"That should be obvious as well," Rookwood answered. Severus glared. It may not have been as effective as his grown counterpart's, but it was still pretty scary.

"I would think my alliance is pretty clear. However, I am interested in you and your... partners in crime. Tell me, who else is targeting me because of this? How many others follow your ideaology?"

"Why should I?"

"Depending on the number and the who, I might be swayed." Sirius looked at him in shock.

"Severus! How could you even think that!" he said, leaving the fact that Severus knew the likely outcome of the war and what Sirius would do to him if he defected to Voldy's side unsaid.

"Because, if certain people follow this so called Dark Lord, it could be very likely the Dark will win this war. I'm a Slytherin. I go with the option that will ensure I come out as close to the top as I can. I'm sorry Sirius, I really am, but this constant harassment is wearing on me. If I can stop it I will!" Sirius fell back, hearing what was not said. _'I'm in charge of this. Play along.'_ The Black smirked to himself. He was getting the hang of this subtly lark.

"Lucius, Rodalfus, Rebastan, Bellatrix, Wilkes, Robert, Brad, Bart, and Arnold, though the boys were the only one's harassing you," Rookwood divulged. Severus sighed.

"You do know that Arnold is my brother, right?" he asked. Rookwood nodded. "And that I left my family home not that long into this past summer?" The captured wizard paled at the implications. "Indeed, Rookwood. You just sold out your compatriots. How does it feel to be a traitor? I'll admit, this isn't the harshest nor most dangerous of interrogations, but later... well, lets just say, I'm looking forward to getting you to sing like a bird without the use of veriteserum," Severus finished, his teeth flashing in the darkness at the end. Rookwood was suitably terrified. Sirius chuckled darkly. Screams and whimpers drifted out intermittently through out the night as one or the other of the Anti-Voldemort Duo let the silencing charms fall to spook the other Pro-Voldemort Slytherins.

/*/

James paused slightly as he entered the Great Hall the next morning. Something was up with the Slytherins. Sirius was looking particularly feral, Severus was pushing out a fairly intimidating dark aura, and the rest of their House was giving them a wide berth. _'Looks like a... _demonstration_... was needed last night. I sure hope no-one died,_' James thought, then did a quick head count. A soft breath made its way past his lips as he slid onto the bench beside Frank.

"Sirius seems rather pleased with himself, and Sev doesn't seem that far behind. Any idea what happened?" the usually rather quiet youth asked. James sighed and snagged a muffin, a few pieces of bacon, and a healthy serving of scrambled eggs. He had finished his muffin by the time he realized Frank was actually expecting an answer.

"Nope, aside form perhaps a demonstration," James said, testing his eggs to see if he needed more salt. Normally the House Elves made everything absolutely perfect, but there were times when he wanted his food just a little different and had to add things. Today was not one of those days and the Heir to House Potter dug in with gusto. Frank shook his head.

"Well, Severus had been complaining about harassment in the dorms. Maybe he's finally gotten that all sorted out," he said. James grunted, signaling that he hoped so. Lily sighed as she watched the young man. By now she was certain that she really was beginning to see him differently, possibly even as a love interest, but he still rubbed her the wrong way sometimes.

"What is it with boys and grunting?" she asked.

"What is it with Blacks and terror inducing laughs?" James countered. Lily was stumped and didn't even realize she had been deflected until he was halfway through with his eggs.

"You didn't answer my question," she growled. James sighed.

"Guys grunt when one of two things, typically, happen. One, they have something in their mouth and can't talk or two, they have nothing to say. For me, it was because I had food in my mouth and even I'm not rude enough to speak with my mouth full of half chewed eggs and bacon," he said, turning to face her so she knew he was speaking the truth. Lily sighed, but let the matter drop. She sat down and ate her breakfast without further comment, but followed James when he went to join Sirius before they all separated for class. "So, Sirius, what was with the evil grins and three foot bubble effect?" James asked his still grinning(disturbingly) friend. Peter would have come over to listen, but the grin drove him away. It reminded him of when he first met Sirius. It wasn't a happy memory. Sirius had been rather messed up back then, still working through his emotions from his past life. It was a terrifying and mentally scarring experience for poor little Peter. He hadn't gotten over it and likely never would.

"Well, lets just say, Severus got some interrogation practice in last night," Sirius said. Severus let out a truly terrifying laugh and the Gryffindors decided to mimic the Slytherins, just this once, and give the two a wide berth. When a Black and a Snape decide to play Muggle Investigators, it's best to be up to _all_ good.

/*/

The school year ended on a rather neutral note all things considered. The War was getting bleaker, the pranks were getting grander, the Review was getting tougher, homework was over, finals were done, and Dumbledore had announced that Hagrid had found Lucius Malfoy hung up in his hut by a giant string of sausages, but all that simply balanced everything out into a bland mess. Life with the Blacks, however, was anything but bland. Artucus Black had been a Black Sheep. However, taking up his family's seat in the wizarding court, he slowly hid away. He was still a Black Sheep, but his policy didn't exactly show it. When he heard what Sirius was doing however... he decided it was time to pass on his ideals. Orion and his two sons were called to Black Manor to meet with Artucus and his wife, Malory, about three weeks after the end of term. Sirius was nervous, Regulus was curious, and Orion was quietly terrified. Most of the world saw Lord Black as being Dark, or at least sympathetic to the Dark. Sirius didn't know what to believe, but he knew it would be interesting. As for Artucus and his wife, they were excited, though they hid it behind their 'Pureblood royalty' persona. When Tibbles, the elder Black's primary House Elf, showed the three younger Blacks in, Artucus immediately found his attention being drawn to Sirius. The young man carried himself with purpose, even if he had a slight limp, and there was an undeniable feeling of power around him. Regulus had it as well, but not nearly to the same extent. Orion, however, was a bit of a disappointment. He seemed scared. Terrified. Of what? Artucus. His own father. The elder sighed. "My son, Sirius, Regulus... welcome to Black Manor! Please, have a seat and make yourselves comfortable. I feel the stiff formalities should be reserved for when none family visitors are around or we are in public. Such things as bows and titles should not exist between an old man and his children or grandchildren," Artucus said. Sirius and Regulus relaxed a bit as this, allowing themselves small smiles. The old Lord believed he even saw a spark of pleasure and mischief in Sirius' eyes. He allowed himself to relax, though when he had tensed he couldn't say.

"Forgive me if I speak out of turn, but it is good to hear you say such Grandfather. I have long held such views myself, but mother would hear nothing of it," Sirius said, placing his arm across the back of his chair as he angled himself to the left, placing his bad leg closest to the ground to facilitate a speedy exit. Artucus smiled, though there was some sorrow as he noted Sirius' still defensive posture, masked as it was. Regulus sighed, seemingly holding himself back from rolling his eyes.

"Please, forgive my son. Sirius doesn't seem to understand the need for common courtesy," Orion said, his fear poorly hidden. Artucus sighed again and fell back into his chair, all pretenses abandoned as he well and truly sulked. Malory shook her head.

"Sirius was quite polite, for family interactions. In fact, I'd call that almost painfully polite. Form what I've heard, Sirius here is quite the entertainer. And Regulus isn't too far behind. Really, Orion, must you be so uptight? And what is with this fear I see in you? Surly we did not raise you to be such a lamb!" she said. Sirius snorted and Regulus' smirk grew, both of them relaxing even further, sinking into their chairs a bit. Orion gaped at his mother. Then Sirius couldn't stand it anymore and laughed. His family gave him questioning looks, though Regulus seemed to be asking why now instead of just why.

"Our family is so messed up pretty much the entire wizarding world thinks the whole lot of us are mad or Dark or both when really we are just as divided as any other! There are 'light' wizards, sensible witches, and wise men, but the majority are simple, petty, frivolous, and at the very least gray. Look at what is happening now! The Lord is pouting – _pouting! –_ the Lady is chastising her son for being polite, the Heir is terrified of practically everyone while still gaping at his mother, and you and I are the two most dignified of the bunch! Now tell me, Brother Dear, does this scene fit with any of the preconceived notions of the world at large?" Sirius said to Regulus, though it was for the benefit of the room at large. Regulus froze, blinked, looked around the room, blinked again, then burst out laughing like his brother.

"Oh what the press would do with this! I can see what you mean brother. Do you think, perhaps, that we should drop our mask as it seems grandfather has done? I admit, it would be nice to talk about school without having to dance around certain topics. Could you imagine what mother would do if we talked about pranks over the dinner table? She'd have a fit!" he said. Artucus was surprised to say the least. He had thought, when the two came in, that perhaps they were only interesting when it came to the political scene and feared they might have been tainted by their mother. This was not so, and he was very glad for it.

"Yes. I believe we can trust grandfather. And I've been meaning to talk to father about that flash of defiance I believe I saw when I spoke out against the Dark Hypocrite," Sirius said, nodding. Orion looked surprised, though he still tried to mask it. Sirius had seen that? Artucus was intrigued. Orion really did still contain some of the fun loving and moral boy he had raised? This was cause for happiness. As was the fact that Sirius seemed unafraid to stand against Voldemort, though he had known that ahead of time. Regulus nodded, then frowned at his father.

"Stop trying to mask your emotions. Grandfather is being himself before us. The least we can do is return the favor," he said sharply. Sirius nodded gravely, though the boyish glee was still present. Orion sighed, slumping slightly as if in defeat.

"Fine. Father, since it seems we are doing away with the usual games, would you just come out and tell me why you called us here? I'm assuming this isn't just a social visit," he said, sitting back up and with a hint of fire. Sirius appeared to be considering clapping. Regulus beamed, though he did appear surprised. Artucus noted their reactions and felt sadness at them. That his son had fallen so far that his own children did not believe him capable of fighting back... it was distressing.

"Well, for the most part, it _is_ a social visit. I wanted to get to know my grandchildren a bit better and to see how my son was doing. I also wanted to determine how _my_ line viewed the world. Of course, that could be considered getting to know my grandchildren better, but I digress. Come! Tell me what you think of our world," Artucus said, truly curious. Sirius grinned while Regulus looked a bit proud, but both turned to their father, silently telling him to go first. He sighed, then began to speak.

"Our government is a joke. They sit back and line their pockets with gold, bettering their own homes and leaving everyone else to rot. This cannot be allowed to continue, but I see little to no way for it to be fixed. Our education is little better. We know next to nothing about our real history, Defense is lacking, Divination should only be taught to those who have the gift and even then only as special tutoring, Care of Magical Creatures is highly biased and according to many of our neighbors over half of what we cover is either misclassified or just plain wrong. Mind Magics are barely mentioned, the stave is considered highly primitive and isn't mentioned, wandless magic could be taught to children but that doesn't bare mentioning either apparently, there are no options for non-magical schooling for magical students once they start their formal magical studies, and they don't tell the students about what happens when they engage in certain activities with the other gender until they've graduated and by then it's too late. And don't get me started on all the slights we're giving to the non-human beings in the magical world here in Britain. In other countries it's not so bad, but as far as I'm concerned, Magical Britain is stuck in the middle ages." Once he was done, Orion seemed lighter somehow, as if by speaking he had relieved himself of some grievous burden. Sirius smirked.

"Way to go dad! Ya know, it's thinking like that we need more of. I know we are but one family, but we have friends. Friends in high places, or that will be in high places. I do believe it's time we started calling them on their passivity, don't you think so brother?" he said. Regulus nodded.

"Indeed. Our world... nay... out country is frozen, stuck in its ways. The ice must be broken, the doors opened, the world changed. If we stand by and do nothing, Voldemort and those like him will just keep coming. As it stands, Britain is a breeding ground for Dark Lords. We must act or war will never truly end on our shores. Grandfather, please, prepare the field for our invasion. The past generations have made a mess of things. It has fallen to my generation to be the clean up crew, even if it means we must use dynamite," the younger brother said, firm yet gentle. It was clear to Artucus that Sirius was proud of his brother, and that the bond between the boys was strong. This pleased the old Lord.

"It gladdens my heart to hear you speak thusly, my children. I will do all I can to prepare the way. Orion! Stand up, boy, and help these young men in their quest!" Sirius couldn't help it and snickered. Regulus shook his head as well.

"Oh yes, the Big Bad Black Family. Beware! They shall kill you with their cheesiness!" Regulus said, in an admiral attempt at deadpan. It failed of course, but it got the point across quite nicely. He actually managed to get Artucus to blush. Sirius grinned and clapped his brother on the back.

"Look at that! You got grandfather to blush! Not many can claim that," he said. And then, Orion finally cracked and let out a laugh. Sirius and Regulus looked elated while Artucus and Malory smiled warmly at their son. The next three hours were spent talking about school("Really, I get most of my education out of the library, and at least half of that out of foreign books," said Sirius), pranks("And that time you covered the whole Great Hall in color changing glitter? Classic!" said Regulus), and, of all things, food("Strawberry syrup and cream cheese are the perfect toppings for pancakes. Anyone who says otherwise is a heathen." "Regulus... while strawberry syrup and cream cheese is glorious atop pancakes, there are other ways to eat them. And no, those who eat them any other way are _not_ heathens. Do you even know what that means?" "Don't care, dad. My way's best."). When Artucus finally waved his family goodbye, he found that he missed them almost immediately.

"Those boys are good for Orion. I just wish Hogwarts hadn't sucked the same puckish joy out of Orion and turned him into a 'proper Pure-blood,'" the old man said. Malory sighed and looped her arms around him.

"Maybe, with Sirius and Regulus' help, we can get our son back and the House of Black can finally begin to redeem itself," she said, resting her chin on his shoulder. Artucus nodded, resolving then and there to push form a more progressive Britain, starting with education. If he could just improve the education a little, it might spark a more wide reaching revolution. And a revolution was just what they needed. He grinned.

"Looks like my mind has been made up for me. I'm going to re-enter society, so be ready with those stinging hexes and silencers Malory. I'm going to be counting on you to keep me from doing something stupid," he said, maintaining his 'evil grin' through out. Malory felt a rush as she regarded her husband. When she had married him, Artucus had been a forward thinking man, always ready to move the country forward. The oppressive and cutthroat government, however, had robed him of the greater part of his fire. Now, it seemed, Sirius and his brother had rekindled their grandfather's fire just as they had their father's. Lady Black was looking forward to when those two left school and entered the world. Magical Britain would never be the same again, of that she was certain.

/?/

A/N: And there you have it. The end of fifth year! Oh, do you think I should have the Marauders attend a Hufflepuff Christmas party next year? And what do you think of Peter being a hidden dance genius? Personally I think it would be funny, but let me know what you think. Ah well, until next time!

Proverbs 24:16(unless it's 16:24. Darn dyslexia.)

"Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and health to the bones."


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Been a while since I declared... I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! If I did, a whole lot of people would be alive, others would use their brains a bit more, and there would be a better inventory of spells and what they do.

A/N: I'd just like to thank any readers who have made it this far. Thank you for reading this story and, in some cases, helping me move it forward. This is a light chapter, as seen by the title, but soon I'm going to have to delve into the darkness of The War. Tragedy must strike, for not everyone can be saved, and there might be a few spies. I'd like to ask for recommendations for those positions. However, Regulus and Severus are exempt from the spy pool. I have different plans for them.

/*/

**Chapter 13:** Story Time!

When the three Blacks arrived back at their home, Orion quickly made his excuses and fled to his study. Orion Black's study, the one room Sirius had never seen in Grimwauld Place. With that in mind, Sirius also made his excuses and, after giving his brother an apologetic glance, followed his father. He stopped in front of the rather imposing door, which was rather silly as it was just a door no matter how dark it was, then knocked twice. "Yes?" came the voice of his father. It was only due to his work as an Auror in a previous life that Sirius was able to detect the frustration in the older Black's voice.

"Father, I'd like a word," Sirius said. Orion sighed.

"Come in." Sirius frowned at the weariness in his father's voice, but pushed it aside for the moment and entered.

"You are not who you appear," the traveler remarked. Orion snorted.

"Who is?" he remarked. Sirius bowed his head to his father, acknowledging the truth of his words.

"I am not."

"Then who are you?" Sirius looked up and allowed his After-Image to show, something he hadn't done for quite some time.

"You can see him, can't you?" he said. Orion was pale, but nodded. "He was an Auror in a time of war. It spiraled out of control, dragging many into darkness, splitting families, wiping others out. It claimed his brother, most of his cousins, his mother, cost him various friends, and ruined the lives of three generations. This war, was started by a disgruntled half-blood by the name of Tom Marvalo Riddle who fashioned for himself a new name, a name that would be feared for years even when he was considered dead. Voldemort. What you see now, is who I became. He is a past life, a life from the future. Now, however, the time-stream has been so altered that he can no longer be. Then again, he is me and I am him. So really, this man you see now is simply being allowed to grow more. He was given a second chance to live life, only this time he had his memories. He is me, father. I know what this war could become, what it could do to our country, what lead to it. I cannot stand for it any longer, father. I have already begun the revolution, but it shall truly begin when our children take over from my generation. However, I can and will make the world a little better before they are brought into it. I swear it. Voldemort shall fall, and he shall fall by my efforts. I don't care if it's me who offs him or not, he's going to die, and die painfully and permanently. I'm sorry, I did not mean to go off on a rant. I merely wanted for there to be a few less secrets within this house. I didn't tell grandfather because... well. A boys father should find out something like this in private and by his own son, don't you think?"

"Well... you're your father's son, I'll give you that," Orion said, trying to smile despite how badly he was shaking. Sirius gave him an incredulous look.

"No-one, and I mean _no-one_, has reacted half as well to this revelation as you are right now. Pull up the privacy wards and have a good old fashioned emotional breakdown. You've earned it," he said to his father. Orion huffed a laugh, but pulled up the privacy wards anyway. A moment later, he was screaming and crying and asking questions that were so open ended Sirius wasn't sure even Orion knew what he was really asking. Half an hour later, Sirius sat down beside his panting father and held out a tissue. "Better?" Orion let out another quivering laugh.

"A little," he said, looking over at his son, wondering just what he had done in a previous life to deserve such a child. "You really are something, you know that?" Sirius laughed, a dry, bark-like sound that didn't seem to have much humor in it.

"Something strange you mean. But yeah, I guess I am," Sirius answered with a faint smile. Orion shook his head at the young man.

"Well, I won't deny that, but I meant something special. If and when you take over as Head of House, you'll use the power that comes with the position to such effect that our family will have no choice but to be pulled into the light, or at least the shadows. I can tell, you're going to redeem this family. And I couldn't be more proud of you son. You're a better man than I, that's for sure," he told his son. Sirius smiled back at the man who, in one time line, had died just as unhappily and broken as Severus and Regulus had, and looped his arm around his shoulders.

"You might be right, but I think there's more to you than even you think. When grandfather steps down as Head of House, you'll pave the way for me and Regulus to change the world. By the time you pass on, I feel confident that you will be regarded as the first true Black since Marius, who I happen to know is a fantastic lawyer and really shouldn't have been cast out of the family for a little thing like lack of magical talent," Sirius said. Orion sighed.

"Then I hope I live up to your expectations Sirius. Right now, I don't think I will." Sirius sighed, then called Kreature and asked that a cup of brandy be brought for his father. If there was ever a time liquor was needed, being told that your son was older than you and believed you'd be a great man after living for years as a coward certainly qualified.

/*/

Regulus was insanely happy that Peter was on his side. The Hufflepuff had tumbled through the fireplace, marched right past Orion, thrown open Regulus' door, stormed inside, slammed the door shut, and began to rant on the horrors of shopping with a woman. And what he'd like to do to the Hufflepuff girls who he was certain had been stalking him since that one party where he was forced to wear one of Rufus' shirts. Regulus then decided that he would make sure their allies knew better than to have muscle shirts out when Peter was around and to point the near rabid Hufflepuff at any enemies who's shirts were tighter than strictly necessary. "Hey Peter, wasn't that last Review fun?" Regulus asked, hoping to steer the ranting Hufflepuff to a new topic. Muscle shirts _were_ terrifying after all. Peter's face scrunched up in distaste and Regulus felt a little worried. Perhaps that particular Review wasn't the best conversation topic he could have picked.

"Easy for you to say. Your form is a panther," Peter ground out. Regulus quirked an eyebrow.

"And how dose that make it better than yours?"

"Simple. Your House emblem _isn't_ a panther." The pair heard Sirius snort from the door, obviously done with his father/son bonding moment.

"Yeah, you've got the name Bagheera while Pete here has Badger. How unimaginative! And yet, strangely fitting. For both of you," he said.

"Heh, and you won a bet, didn't you?" Pete said, narrowing his eyes slightly. Sirius' grin turned as feral as his animal form appeared.

"Heh, yeah. Severus wasn't too pleased with the outcome," he said. Remus chose that moment to walk in.

"Too pleased with the outcome of what?" he asked.

"Severus' animal form," Regulus answered. Remus looked perplexed, then Sirius let out a sound of revelation.

"You weren't there for the last Review of the year, were you?" he asked. Remus gave him a sad smile, prompting Sirius to pull out a penisive and a memory from goodness-alone-knew-where, and push him into it.

/*/

Severus entered the RoR, flushed with success. "What's got you all riled up Sev?" asked Sirius. The already-almost-master-of-potions grinned like no-one had ever seen and held up a bag.

"Ready to find out your animagus forms?" he asked. Everyone grinned and lined up, Lily at the front. She received her vial of potion and quickly drank it, turning briefly into a doe. Sirius chuckled.

"Yep. Definitely the girl for Prongs," he said with a wide grin. BY this point, Lily had returned to human form.

"And why is that?" she asked. James transformed into Prongs, a magnificent white stag. Realizing what Sirius had meant, Lily quickly struck at the chuckling Black, only to miss. Shaking his head at their antics, Severus handed the next person in line, Frank, his vial. Frank was revealed to be an English sheep dog. Alice, who went next, was a swan. Kingsley was a bear, Marlene was a hawk, Edgar was a fox, Regulus a black panther, and then came Severus. He was a...

"Told you you'd be a bat," Sirius smirked. Bat-Severus dive bombed him, then returned to human form and fell on him. With a sputtering, groaning Sirius underneath him, Severus sat elegantly with a smug look on his face.

"I don't really care, mutt," the potions prodigy said happily. Then the rest of the Marauders were asked to do their transformations, as they had all completed them. James was, as previously known to all, a stag, and Sirius, similarly known, was a big black dog. Peter, however, was a bit of a surprise. What wasn't a surprise, however, was why he had looked so hesitant to reveal his form. As soon as he transformed into a dark brown badger, most people fell down laughing. The only decipherable words amid the laughter were,

"Peter! Hufflepuff! _BADGER!_" Obviously, the entire group found Peter's animagus form to be one of the most amusing things ever.

/*/

Remus came out of the penisive chuckling. "Sorry mate, but that... that was to be expected. And I can see why you got stuck with the name 'Badger.' For what it's worth, I still think it's better than 'Moony.' But that might just be me," the werewolf said. Peter glowered.

"Did you hear the part where Regulus got 'Bagheera?'" he growled. Remus sighed.

"Yeah. He wins. Even 'Padfoot' and 'Prongs' don't stand a chance against the awesomeness that is 'Bagheera.'" he consented. Sirius pouted while his brother let out maniacal sounding chuckles. Sirius loved his brother, really, but there were times when Sirius wished Regulus had grown up closer to how he had the first time. There was something to be said for quite and unassuming.

"But of course. Everyone knows I'm awesome," Regulus said with a grin. Then again, Sirius thought as he laughed, there was something to be said for confident and joking as well.

"Well, at least I'm not a rat," Peter said, leaning back into the mound of pillows he had made, looking far more content than he had before. Sirius gave him a curious look, one that he bestowed upon Remus as well.

"What are you two doing in my house?" he asked. Peter looked a bit sheepish.

"I was having a bad day and stormed out of the house. My mother is a shopping _fiend_! Listen well, my friends, to my tale of woe..."

/*/

(Peter P.O.V.)

I was out back, practicing my unarmed combat skills, when my mother comes out to tell me it's time for lunch. I called back that I heard her, and came jogging back to the house. She watched me coming, and I could tell she was looking at my clothes. I gave her a quizzical look, but she just waved me back inside. Then, she freaks me out by coming into the bathroom after I had just gotten out of the shower. I, of course, yelped and covered myself as best I could with my towel. Obviously, this still left a reasonable amount of skin exposed as certain areas are more important to cover than others. She looked my up and down then remarked, 'It's time you got some new clothes. You old ones don't suit you anymore. We're leaving for Diagon Alley as soon as you're done with your lunch.' Then she just walked off, not a care in the world, and left me standing, mortified, in the bathroom with a towel wrapped around my waist. Then, after lunch, she dragged me to Madam Milkin's where I was asked to strip._ Strip! _In front of women! After that, I was measured and poked and prodded and _appraised _by the tailors. Then I had to endure _fittings_ for all my new robes. Casual robes, formal robes, dress robes, tea party robes, winter robes, spring robes, green robes, black robes, blue robes, golden rod yellow robes which I'll likely never wear. And then! I was taken into Muggle London to get _more_ clothes. Jeans, slacks, shorts, dress shirts, polo shirts, T-shirts, pajamas, shoes, socks. She even got me underwear! Honestly, I only had a short window to escape before she started in on books and potion ingredients. I told her I had to use the facilities and slipped off to the Leaky Cauldron. There I used the Floo to come here.

/*/

(3rd person)

Sirius blinked, then clasped his friend on the shoulder. "Well done, mate. You've escaped the first level of hell," he said. Peter sighed.

"I'm not too sure mate. She might just drag me along tomorrow for the books and the potions stuff, and she wants me to get my wand adjusted and she found out I want to try out for Quiditch, ya know, before I really get into the fighting and the cursing and all that. So, I'm afraid, I have only delayed the inevitable," he said, appearing very downtrodden. Sirius shook his head, though wondered what it would be like having a Quiditch playing Peter instead of a Peter who just trailed along after the others to watch the practices. He shook his head a little more forcefully.

"What about you Remmy?" Sirius asked. Remus sighed.

"Well... it's like this..."

/*/

(Remus' POV)

"REMUS! Stop moping about the house and go _do something!_" dad yelled at me. I sighed, not really wanting to do anything at all. Not even my books could grab my attention. It was a horrible feeling and yet, I was content to simply lay there on my bed, staring at the ceiling. Dad had different ideas. "If there's nothing _here_ you want to do, go find your friends!" he shouted, grabbing me and dragging me to the living room, where he shoved the Floo powder into my hands. With a weary sigh, I threw the powder down and...

/*/

(3rd person)

"I walked in just as you, Sirius, were saying that Severus wasn't too pleased," Remus finished. Sirius blinked.

"That... wasn't nearly as... interesting... as Peter's Tale," he said. The others rolled their eyes.

"Then maybe my Tale will sate your need for melodrama and angst," James said from the door. Sirius' eye twitched.

"Why are you all coming _here?!_" he asked.

"Yeah! Why my room?" Regulus added.

"Because your the life of the party, duh," James said, theatrically rolling his eyes. Sirius sighed and flopped onto the floor.

"Well then, what's your story?"

"I was bored, alone in my large, echo-y home. There was nothing to do, no-one to prank. So I came here. The end!" Sirius blinked. Remus facefaulted. Peter gaped. Regulus facepalmed.

"That... was more boring than Remus'! At least Peter had _some_ horror to it!" Sirius said. Remus frowned at Sirius.

"Hey, at least mine wasn't shown via pensieve! That had to be the cheapest way to do it," he retorted. Sirius gave him A Look. "And it was honest. Peter exaggerates."

"Not this time fuzz bucket. Not this time," Peter said, shaking his head. Remus blinked, perturbed.

"Fuzz... bucket? Why did you call me fuzz bucket?" he asked.

"Because I felt like it?" Remus glared. "And Moony is fuzzy?"

"How do _you_ know that?" the werewolf asked. Peter hummed, and then hid behind Regulus. The younger Black shook his head and stepped away.

"Uhuhuhuh, no. You are not hiding behind me Pete. You dug your pit, now climb out of it," he said, standing by his brother, both of them crossing their arms. The badger animagus frowned at the pair.

"Party poopers," he groused. James gave him a confused look.

"I thought we had agreed they were the life of the party. How are they party poopers?" he asked. However, before anyone could answer, an owl tapped at the window. Sirius looked at it in trepidation and Regulus thought he might not even want to open it. With a sigh, the almost-fourteen year old wizard let the owl in and relived it of its burden. He almost wished he hadn't once he saw what it was. "What is it Regulus?" Regulus turned to James, a look like death on his unusually pale face.

"Death Eaters attacked the Bones. Only Edgar, Amelia, and their mom survived. Edgar says Amelia wants in. She's spitting mad." Sirius let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding.

"Yeah, I bet. Amelia Bones, the first female to make Head of the DMLE. She's trustworthy. Can't be bought. I'll let her in. She's an Auror right now right? She should be able to keep up and if not... I'll go one-on-one with her. Reg, you want to come?" he asked his little brother. Remus, James, and Peter all stood.

"We're coming too. This isn't something a single person should have to deal with," Peter said. Sirius smiled at him. Hufflepuff had done him far more good than Gryffindor ever could have.

"Well... alright. Come on," he said to his friends and off they went.

/*/

Amelia was furious. How dare those fiends do this! Attacking a family gathering, children who couldn't fight back. It was horrible! Yes, she did know that Voldemort was evil and all, and that in war there were those who committed crimes such as this. No, it wasn't the attack itself that had her worked up. It was the glee in their faces as the Death Eaters tortured her baby sister to death in front of the rest of the family. The pleasure they so obviously took in breaking the family, piece by piece. It was a miracle the three of them had gotten out alive. She couldn't say unharmed because, on top of the cuts and bruises and what she was fairly sure were bruised ribs, they had all seen the torturing. They had been tortured as well, but the Aurors had arrived before they could be tortured to death as well. Just as she was getting ready to start blasting things, the fire turned green and out came... "Black? What are you doing here?" Regulus smiled and stepped to the side. Peter, then James, followed by Remus came through. "Eh? What are..." Amelia tried again, but was cut off by Sirius stepping through.

"Amelia, really. You should really talk to your brother. It was him who asked us here after all. Said you wanted... in," the strange Slytherin said with a smile. Amelia was stumped, but then she heard her brother coming and turned to greet him.

"Edgar! Why did you..."

"Ami, Sirius was the one who taught me," Edgar said, cutting off his sister's budding rant. "You said you wanted to join me, so I asked Sirius. Seeing as he's here, along with some unforeseen others, I'd say you just got accepted into our little club," he added with a grin. Sirius nodded.

"Amelia, there are a few things I want you to do before you join my little group," he said. Regulus snorted behind him, mirth dancing in his steel colored eyes. Sirius rolled his own eyes, but smiled all the same. "Okay, so it's not exactly little, but there are some things we need to go over before you join. First, we meet at Hogwarts. Second, you need to swear and Oath of silence. Third, you have to promise to fight Voldie with everything you have. Fourth, be fair and merciful in your battles. If they surrender, accept it, but don't be stupid. If you must kill, make it quick. Can you do that?" he asked seriously. Amelia felt a shiver go down her spine. She had seen Sirius Black in his first year, her seventh, and hadn't thought him to be much more than a prankster. He just proved her wrong. And she was glad for it. Standing tall and determined, she nodded. Sirius grinned. "Alright then! We'll have to work out a way for you to get to our meetings. Perhaps we should start a summer session? Ask around in the Auror Corp., see if anyone else thinks the Ministry isn't doing enough about Voldemort. I wouldn't mind offering supplemental courses for them. Then again, it might be best if you lead those courses. My family isn't all that well received by the Light, something I am planning to use to my advantage later. Now, let's go back to my house and I'll let you in on the whole story," he said, motioning toward the fireplace. Amelia nodded and she and her brother followed the unlikely group through to Grimwuald Place. Sirius pulled out his pensieve, a memory vial, and invited the Bones to enter. Both did, and gasped at what they saw.

/*/

There was a flash of red light, a scream, a pair of green eyes full of pain and loss, and a rustling as the two Bones watched a man get blasted through an arch. Then, Sirius was on the floor of a white room, but it wasn't Sirius. This man was older, in his mid to late thirties or early forties, and had none of Sirius' trademark scars. That wasn't to say he was unmarked. No. He had clearly gone through some awful stuff, and not that long ago either. He was clearly in shock as well. "What... what happened to me?" he asked the room, though it didn't look like he expected an answer. Then, as if in a daze, he looked around and found a pensieve on a pedestal. The scene moved forward, and Sirius said, "The arch!" as if it explained everything. In a way, it kinda did. Then, they saw a memory. A memory of a small boy with black hair and green eyes just like the one they had seen when the Not-Sirius got blasted through the arch. He was running from another boy and what they assumed were the chasing boy's friends when suddenly, he was on the roof of the school. Not-Sirius, who was obviously in the Mind Pensieve, burst out laughing. But it didn't last. When the green eyed boy got home, he was yelled at and tossed in a cupboard. Not-Sirius growled in a very Sirius manner and leapt at the rather large man who had done the yelling, screaming and raging at this Dursley man. Then they were in a strange, stone room with several Hogwarts students and Sirius. He was speaking to them all saying, "Take a Wizard's Oath that whatever you learn here, be it magic or information, is never told to another. What magic you learn here, any tactics, any strategy, anything even remotely warlike, is to be used. Not revealed, not shared, used. Used to take down Voldemort and his ilk. Swear it!" Sirius said, growing more agitated as he spoke. The others stepped back, startled, and a little afraid, of this new side to the fun loving Black. But, one by one, they raised their wands and swore the Oath. Sirius nodded. "I'm not really from this world. I am still Sirius Orion Black, but this is my second time living this life, and it is vastly different. Why? Because I remember. What do I remember? My whole, miserable, war torn life, and then some. I was an Auror, in that other world. A Gryffindor Auror, and a follower of Dumbledore. In that world, Dumbledore formed an organization, if you can call it that, to fight Voldy. It was purely reflexive and largely ineffective. While still better than the Auror Corps. Dumbledore's 'Order of the Phoenix' wasn't all that great. And it got people killed. People like Marlene. Death Eaters wiped out her family. I was a part of this so-called Order. So were the rest of the Marauders. But in our close group of four, there was a traitor. Peter, who in that time line felt left out, overshadowed, turned dark for recognition. All it got him was a lot of stress, fear, two dead friends, a homicidal third out for his blood, a broken fourth, and life as a rat. But, that is in the past. I'm working toward the future. A future that is so different I can no longer predict it. This is how I like it. Not knowing, 100%, what is going to happen. It makes it _real_. But enough of that. What _we_ are going to be doing, is a modified Auror training program. Why modified? Because Aurors are unimaginative. We, are going to be..." here he put on what could only be called an 'Evil Pranking Genius Grin' and laughed evilly, "_creative."_ Amelia almost felt sorry for whoever ended up on the other end of Sirius' wand. Almost. She still remembered what those beasts had done to her family.

/*/

Sirius greeted them, grim faced, as they exited the pensieve. "Well?" he asked. Amelia raised her wand and said,

"All that I learn about Sirius Orion Black is to be kept in the strictest of secrecy. I will only show any magic that I learn from Sirius Orion Black on the battle field or to those who have sworn to protect his secret. So mote it be." Sirius smiled tightly.

"That was... who were you... what?" Edgar gasped. Sirius sighed.

"When I fell through the Veil, I was placed inside my godson's head. The boy you saw in the memory was Harry James Potter, son of James and Lily Potter. That world had a lot of flaws. I'm out to fix what I can, starting with myself. I did a lot of growing up in Harry's head, and I'm not about to let that go to waste." Looking at him, Amelia could really believe that Sirius was a grown, responsible, man trapped in a child's body. She gave him a brisk nod.

"When do we start? I'm looking forward to those... modified... training sessions. Those beasts won't know what hit them," she said. Sirius grinned at her once more.

"Well... we could start now if you like. The first session will be to see where you are currently. After that... well. I've heard it compared to 'the training course from hell,' but I'm sure that's an exaggeration," he said, his grin taking on a dangerous quality, as if promising her pain. Edgar snorted and poured a different memory into the pensieve. Amelia barely spared her brother a curious look before entering the device once more. What followed was... well. Amelia didn't have the same references we have so to her, 'the training course from hell' was a rather apt description. For Muggles like ourselves, it looked a bit like a war movie crossed with the Karate Kid with a dash of sadistic humor thrown in just for the heck of it. When she exited, she was pale, but determined. Oh yeah, those Death Eater scum wouldn't know what hit them. Sirius, however, was thinking about a glaring hole in his course. "I need to add a proper Muggle Studies class to the itinerary. When do you think I could work that in? Wednesdays around three-ish?" he asked the room at large. Amelia shook her head.

"You really are mad. Brilliant, but mad," she said. He simply grinned at her, his friends sharing a long suffering yet fond look behind his back. Ah yes, to be friends with the strangeness and mild insanity that was Sirius Black. It certainly made for an interesting, fast paced, and vigorous life. They wouldn't trade it for the world.

/?\\\\

A/N: Well, there you go. The last chapter before things really begin to get dark. And don't hate me for not describing the training. You try it! It's hard darn it! I'll be doing good to write their fight scenes and describing the horrors Voldie wrecks on the world! Okay, mini-rant over. Let me know a bit about what you think Sirius' organization will be like during the war and I'll try to incorporate it into my plans*insert Evil Laugh of the Master Mind here*. Later!

Regenengel3


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Please excuse spelling errors, it's my worst subject and I don't have a beta. Yep, just me and my spell check. And spell check doesn't work too well with some of the names in J.K.'s universe. Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 14: The Blacks Strike Back

Amelia felt pleased with herself. She had secured a site for Sirius' group to meet during the summer. An old World War II wizarding bunker, spacious and with multiple hidden rooms for supplies and dummies. Sirius saw it and nearly fell over in surprise and joy. "It's perfect!" he cried. Amelia preened slightly, then turned to him, all business.

"Now, when is the first lesson?" she asked. He sighed, running his good hand through his hair.

"I need to see how many we'll have before I make up the plans. And then there's the Muggle Studies class I want to start that I'll need a teacher for..."

"Why not ask Lily? I'm sure she'd love to help. And it's not that hard to send out mass letters to everyone. We'll help, right?" Peter said, looking all around their summer facilities. Sirius smiled at his friends.

"Thanks guys," he said softly. They grinned at him. A week later, everyone was gathered in the bunker while Lily was at the front. She started her class by asking what they knew, or thought they knew, about non-magical life. She got many and varied answers, more than half of them wrong or outdated. With a sigh, she went about correcting them. He class lasted for an hour before Sirius' work began. They went on in this pattern for the rest of the summer, and Amelia could honestly say that she learned many things there she likely wouldn't have learned anywhere else. Niether Hogwarts nor the Auror training program could have given her such and understanding of battle, muggles, or even magic as Sirius Black's little 'review sessions' did. It was a rather humbling revolation.

/*/

There was something special about asking your grandfather to act as if he were one of the bad guys when you had been talking about killing the so-called Dark Lord. Arcturus wasn't too happy, but he could see his grandson's point. If he didn't want to simply react, he'd need a network and for that to happen, it had to be a believable person or persons who started it. Hence, Sirius asking Arcturus to act as a Dark Lord sympathizer. "But I don't want to! Get your great aunt Cassiopeia to do it!" he pouted. Sirius would have been amused, had it not been that his grandfather Arcturus was really the only choice.

"Who do you know who considers Aunt Cassi Dark? Sure she's a gossip and is amazingly adept at blackmail, but is she considered Dark?" he said, exasperated. Arcturus pouted harder at his grandson.

"Pollux then," he said, not wanting to give up. Sirius took a moment to at least look like he was thinking, then shook his head.

"He hasn't shown his face in longer than you. If you must, enlist his help, but you are the one to start my spy network all the same. There's no way I could get close enough to grandfather Pollux to ask. Nice doing business with you, grandfather," he said with a mildly nasty grin before turning and striding out of the room.

"How old are you really?" Arcturus asked. Sirius chuckled.

"Lets say... somewhere near... a hundred and fifty or so?" he said before vanishing. Arcturus sat in mild shock for a moment before he shakily made his way to the fireplace and Flooed to his cousin's house. It was time to help his grandson save the world. Ah who was he kidding? Sirius was out for world domination by placing the whole world in his debt and making friends with the strongest fighters of the generation... mostly by putting them in his debt or training them himself. Or both. Yep. Sirius Orion Black was going to take over the world and then change it so completely the older generations were going to need a guide book just to step out of the house. Oh Arcturus didn't doubt that his grandson wasn't planning to do that, but it was quite plain that was what was going to happen. It was only a matter of time.

/*/

Remus Lupin was sure that Sirius Black was only pretending not to be a mass murder. Why? Because he was doing a very good impersonation of a magical Jack the Ripper. How? He had a free pass to the Potter training room and had charmed one of the practice drones to look like an older, madder, Bellatrix then conjured a simply astonishing number of knives and set them dancing around himself, carving into the faux-Bella's torso and limbs while he himself set about her face. Oh yeah, and he was laughing. Manically. And loudly. Far too loudly. Peter had the poor sense to walk in at that moment. Poor guy fainted, remembering the speech Sirius had given him when they first met. How a six year old could pull off sadistic, creepy, psychopathic killer so perfectly was beyond him even now, when he knew Sirius had already been an old man at that time. Remus just shook his head at the poor boy. He really shouldn't let his curiosity overrule his good sense, or at least learn that when you hear maniacal laughter you go the other way. Hearing the thump of Peter hitting the floor, which was rather impressive when you consider his mad laughter, Sirius stopped and turned to face his friends. Panting, Sirius grinned his evil grin before flicking his wand at Peter, waking him up. "Sirius... please don't laugh like that when you're carving up... well... anything really. It reminds me of... that time," Peter said, his face only slightly flushed. Sirius chuckled.

"Well then, don't come over when I'm angry. I only do stuff like this when I need to let off some steam. You see, I had to convince my grandfather to start my Dark Spy Network, or DSN for short. He didn't want to do it. If it hadn't been so important, I would have found the whole thing rather funny. He pouted at me! Pouted! At _me!_ But, the fact is, he's the only one who can do this. Sure grandfather Pollux could help, but grandfather Arcturus is the only one who might possibly get him to listen. And then, after pouting at me, grandfather Arcturus suggested the biggest gossip in the family, great aunt Cassiopeia. Now, you might think that a woman like her would be perfect, but here's the rub. She's not considered as Dark as grandfather Arcturus, just an incurable gossip with a knack for blackmail. Oh I don't doubt she'll come in handy, but not for the DSN. Not now. Maybe, after they see Arcturus and Cassiopeia talking in a shady corner of Knockturn Alley, the Dark Lord's followers _might_ talk to her to get some of her famous blackmail material, but I'm not too sure. Did you know, grandfather Arcturus was a spy master for the Ministry in his younger years?" he said. Peter stared at him, then shook his head.

"It's official. The Black family is messed up, freaky, and down right unpredictable," he said. Remus just nodded, wondering what other positions the Black family had held over the years. He knew that a Black had been the most hated headmaster of Hogwarts, most of the currently living Blacks were either Death Eaters, sympathizers, or spies. He chuckled as a thought came to him.

"The Black family strikes back," he said, a smirk playing about his lips. Sirius laughed.

"Yep! Now, why don't we have a one-on-two training session? Two-way dueling is a skill we're going to need, though you likely won't come across only two Death Eaters. Knowing how to duel with a partner is beneficial as well."

"Yeah, but wouldn't a five-way duel be better?" asked James, who was standing in the doorway with Marlene. Sirius chuckled evilly and began the duel. Even with three others helping, Sirius couldn't be taken down. Peter was down in the first minute, Marlene not long after, then Remus, and James fell to a stinging hex-body bind combo a few moments later. Sirius twirled his wand, blowing imaginary smoke away from the tip with a jaunty smile. James grumbled as he stood back up, as did Marlene. Remus was muttering to himself with a gleam in his eyes. A gleam he only ever got when presented with a problem or particularly challenging paper. Peter, on the other hand, looked like he was upset with himself. Sirius wasn't too sure how he knew Peter wasn't mad at him, but he did.

"What's got you so mad Pete?" he asked.

"I thought I was getting better, but even with three other opponents to worry about, you took me out easy," the badger animagus answered. Sirius sighed.

"Pete... my instincts had been honed, my reflexes perfected, and my repertoire of spells filled before I came back. Some of it had to carry over didn't it? I have the memories and phantom experiences of a Head Auror and a top Hit Wizard in this old noggin of mine. Don't be too upset with yourself. You _have_ been getting better, but so have I. I've been building on what I remember from my past life, Pete. You've started at the very beginning. Please, just be patient and have a bit of confidence in yourself, but don't think that just because you don't pick something up right away you aren't progressing," he said, then paused, a thoughtful look on his face. "Ya know, I have an idea that might just help you out." Peter quirked an eyebrow, but followed the Black Heir into the house. They stopped in front of a pensieve. "I'm going to show you two memories. The first, is from defense class the beginning of last year," Sirius said, dumping said memory into the viewer. Peter glanced questioningly at his friend for a moment before he dived in, but enter the memory he did. He saw himself, but it didn't really feel like him. It was hard to describe, but it felt like a cousin rather than his past self. Said not-quite-Peter was in the middle of a shield-jinx drill against a smarmy looking Slytherin. Goley? Goely? Something that started with a 'g' anyway. Not-quite-Peter's jinx was sloppy, though still better than G's. Peter hissed at this strange not-him-but-really-is-him, wanting to go over and correct him. When the drill was over, Peter exited the pensieve.

"Okay, that was just pathetic," he grumbled. Sirius smiled and put a different memory into the pensieve.

"This is you in the S.A. last week," he said. Peter entered and saw himself, who actually felt like himself. He was doing a similar drill as last time, only this time it was a Ravenclaw named Kirkland. This Peter's aim was better, his stance was better, his timing was better, and the power of his jinxes was better. There was a ghost of a smile on his face and a, dare he think it, almost easy grace to his movements. There was also a gleam in his eye that Peter had thus far only seen in Sirius' or James'. He was having fun, but he was also driven and determined to 'win.' Which he did. He exited the pensieve and looked over at Sirius.

"Why was I so different in the first one? Why didn't it feel like me?" he asked. Sirius smirked.

"Because you weren't finished yet. You still aren't, but you're closer. Did you notice how much better you got, in only the space of a year and a half? You are improving, steadily, it's just not all that noticeable because of how natural you make it. You learn something and then when you use it, you make it seem like you've always been using it, we've just been too blind to see it. Don't sell yourself short Pete, you might just end up letting the other guy win because you don't see what you can do yourself," he answered before leaving the other boy to his thoughts.

/*/

_'Why am I doing this again?'_ Arcturus wondered as he sipped his tea, looking over the table at the remainder of the Black Family. His grandson caught his eye and nodded slightly. _'Oh yeah. That's why,'_ the old Black thought morosely. Despite the fact that Sirius looked halfway between bored indifference and tense dread, Arcturus knew he was really expectant. Regulus was coldly polite, Orion was vaguely confused, Walburga was curious, Bellatrix looked like she had somewhere better to be, Andromeda seemed distinctly unnerved, Narcissa was politely wondering what was going on, Cassiopeia was curious and seemed to be waiting for a juicy piece of gossip, Pollux looked like he had drunk lemon juice, Lucertia looked like she was just waiting for the meeting to be over so she could gossip with her lady friends, Alphard was just there, Cygnus was wondering why Arcturus was grimacing, Callidora was mildly surprised she and her cousin Dorea were there, and whatever other nameless Blacks were curious or confused. "I'm sure you're all wondering why I called you all here," Arcturus started. Pollux snorted.

"Understatement," he grunted. Arcturus glared.

"If you'll give me a moment, I'll tell you. First, I wish to know where your loyalties lie. Do you support the Dark Lord, or do you wish he would just die already," he said, deciding to cut down the bush rather than beat around it. Bellatrix expressed her love for the Dark Lord, Narcissa shrugged, Andromeda's nose wrinkled, Callidora and Dorea stiffened slightly, Lucertia quirked an eyebrow in a vaguely disapproving manner, Walburga declared her support for the Dark Lord, Orion's eyes darkened, Alphard growled softly, Pollux's lemon expression deepened, Cassiopeia quirked an eyebrow as if to say 'what a way to start,' the nameless Blacks were either vaguely puzzled or making pleased faces, and Cygnus's face remained blank. Arcturus nodded, satisfied that enough were either undecided or against the Dark Lord for him to set up a decent network using the family. "Alright. Some of you are going to hate me, but I am a supporter of the Dark Lord," he said. Walburga, Bellatrix, and about a third of the Blacks whose names Arcturus didn't remember smiled, the others frowned, though Cygnus remained black faced. "I don't care if you don't like it, you'll just have to deal with it. Now, to other business," Arcturus said, and then the meeting went on as usual, though the younger generations wondered why they were even there and Callidora and Dorea were even more confused, seeing as they didn't bare the name Black anymore. Once the family business was over, the Dark Blacks left after congratulating Arcturus on his good judgment. Those who were indifferent, or at least made a show of being indifferent stayed behind, hoping to hear why Arcturus had chosen a side. Sirius, Regulus, and Orion stayed as well.

"Well, this is a lot more than I was expecting," Sirius said, looking over the now thoroughly confused Blacks. Arcturus chuckled.

"I'll admit, I'm in the same position," he said, looking over the sizable amount of Blacks in the room. "I do not, in fact, support the Dark Lord. I simply said that so that it will be spread around to those who do so that they might drop information my way. I'm hoping you will do the same. I don't not expect you to take me at my word and become spies just because I am. No, I will let Sirius have a chance to sway you. If you do not wish to have a part in this, I will modify your memory so that you remember me extolling the virtues of the Dark Lord instead. Now, Sirius, if you would," he added, stepping back as Sirius stepped forward with a nod.

"What I am about to tell you cannot pass these walls, understood?" he asked. The room nodded. "I shall spare you the rhetoric and go with the bare bones. The Dark Lord is a hypocrite. His father was a muggle, his mother was a near squib terrified by her father and brother, and he is mentally unstable. He will lead this world we live in to war with itself, far too many people will be killed, he'll drag us back into the Dark Ages, and if I were to marry a pure-blood there would likely be genetic deficiencies due to recessive genes of a less that savory nature coming forward and causing madness and poor magical power, among other things. Also, I care only about life, friends, and family and should anyone threaten these things I hold dear, I will not hesitate to strike back and do so relentlessly until the damage done has been repaid three-fold," he told the assembled Blacks. They stared at him as if he were an idiot, thought Regulus was staring at him for a completely different reason.

"That... was almost, word for word, what you told mother and father about a year ago," he said. Sirius chuckled sheepishly.

"Well... it gets the point across doesn't it?" Regulus shook his head, a fond smile on his face.

"What my goof of a brother is trying to say is that Voldie is leading us on a path to destruction and he wants to stop it. He's already got about ten to twelve wands on his side, and he's not asking you to fight, just pass along information. Be his eyes and ears by playing up our family's reputation and slipping into the Dark Side's meetings. We are not the Black, we are not the White. We are the Gray. Thank you," he said. Sirius looked over at his brother with a considering look.

"Is that what we should call our group? The Gray?" he asked. Regulus crinkled his nose.

"Nah. Not menacing enough."

"I'll help," said one of the nameless Black cousins. As though that first offer broke a barrier, the rest of the Black family pledged to help pass along information. As the last Black, Pollux, was leaving, he looked over his shoulder and said,

"When you spoke, it wasn't your words that convinced me." Sirius looked up in confusion. "It was the shadow of sorrow in your eyes, like you'd seen it," the older man finished before vanishing out the door. Sirius drew in a sharp, yet slow, breath. He hadn't realized he'd put so much of himself forward.

"Shadowed sorrow," Regulus muttered behind him. Sirius turned, a question in his steel gray eyes. Regulus didn't answer, he just kept mulling over the phrase. Sirius shook his head, nodded to Arcturus, and exited. He went to James' house and asked for the Potters if they would talk with him. When they agreed, he told them the true meaning of the family meeting as well as the true role of the Black family, hoping they would be willing to receive the information in the form of coded letters. Dorea smiled and accepted.

"It's good to see that the Black family is working for the people. Perhaps, one day, our family can be redeemed," she said before Sirius left. He chuckled to himself.

"That's just what I'm trying to do," he said softly as he went back to his house.

/*/

Severus watched as Petunia fluttered about the house. He had never seen a woman so obsessed with cleaning in his life. It was a little unnatural, Severus thought, having a house so clean. "Would it be so bad if the wooden duck was two centimeters farther to the left?" he mused, unwittingly aloud. Petunia jerked slightly, but didn't turn to look at him. A twitch in his cheek alerted him to the smile fighting to break out.

"It wouldn't..." Petunia began. Severus cut her off before she could say, 'look right.'

"No, I don't suppose it would. Unless it hides a secret door to an illegal office filled with conspiracy plans," he said. 'Hum. Sirius and the guys are rubbing off on me. I never used to joke like this before.' Petunia stifled a chuckle, but still didn't turn. She didn't even move. "Petunia, I've been here for about a year. We haven't really talked the whole time. Come, sit, talk. Tell me about your life, and I'll tell you about mine." With a sigh, the elder Evans sister came and sat across from Severus. He could see that her face was flushed. _'I bet Tuney won't be able to speak a coherent sentence to your face when we get home,'_ Lily's voice whispered in his head, her teasing smile dancing behind his eye lids. She had been right. Petunia hadn't been able to focus properly around him when he first came back after Sirius began his 'review sessions,' and she hadn't regained that ability since. She took a deep breath then let it whoosh out. The she began to tell him about her self. Meaningless tidbits and childhood fancies. In return, Severus told her about his own childhood, though he didn't shy away from the unpleasantness of it. Then he told her about his first real Christmas. "It was beautiful Petunia. The house, the people, the food, the fun. Sure when we got there James looked like a green skinned, brown eyed monster with a kindergartener's cloth napkin clenched in his hand, and after that Remus got syruped and feathered, but it was still amazing. No-one screamed, no-one hit, no-one was denied food or love or clothing. I was a bit in shock the entire time. I got _presents!_ Good ones too. It was the best day of my life, and the day I realized that becoming friends with Sirius Black was probably the best decision I could have made," he finished, his dark eyes glittering. Petunia was, for lack of a better term, enraptured by his tale. She no longer saw the dirty, tattered boy who had walked out of his father's house and into her kitchen. She saw a bright young man who was simply looking for acceptance and a place he could call home. A young man looking for love. She felt her face heat at the thought and quickly shook her head. She heard him sigh and lean forward. She didn't have to look to see how he rested his lean arms on his knees, nor how his long elegant fingers would be woven together, his chin resting on them. "I wish you could have seen it, Petunia. You would have loved it," he said softly. Her breath caught in her throat.

"I probably wouldn't have been able to attend," she said just as softly as he had. He chuckled and she forced herself not to think of how his thin, expressive lips would be twitching in a smile.

"What if I asked you? What if you were... my date?" Her breath quickened and she felt herself heating up. Did he mean it? "I know you don't care for magic, but if you could see past it... I wouldn't mind getting to know you a bit better." And then, in a soft rustle of cloth, he was gone. Petunia looked up just in time to see his back, broader than she remembered, disappear around the corner. She sighed.

"Well. That could have gone better," she muttered to herself.

"Only if you had thrown yourself at him begging him to take you on a date," Lily said. Petunia jerked upright, reaching for the burning jealousy that she had been developing ever since Lily began talking about that Potter boy, but to her great surprise, it wasn't there.

"What do you mean?" she asked, truly curious. Lily smirked.

"He's beginning to like you, but you need to respond before anything can come of it. He wants to get close to you, but he's been pushed away so many times... he doesn't know how." Petunia sighed, looking at her hands. "Peter and the guys are planning a big Christmas bash at the Pettigrew's."

"I don't..." Petunia began, only to be cut off by her sister.

"But that wasn't the party he was thinking of taking you to." Petunia looked at her sister in confusion.

"Then where was he planning on taking me?"

"James has a smaller party planned at his place. It's invitation only, though those invited are encouraged to bring a date. James has me, Sirius has Marlene, Frank has Alice, Peter said something about an upperclasswoman... but Severus didn't say much of anything when the party was announced. Neither did Remus but he has his reasons. That Sev asked you means quite a bit." Lily examined her sister's face, hoping that she would give the lost and lonely boy a chance, then sighed and stood. "I have an essay I need to finish. Think about it, please?" Petunia didn't have a chance to answer before Lily was gone, following Severus around the corner and out of the living room. Petunia stayed where she was, thinking about what she had been told, about Severus, and made up her mind. She stood and made her way to the old guest room, which was now Severus' room, then knocked firmly on the door. Severus answered, a question plain in the upward tilt of his eyebrow.

"I... I wouldn't be against going to the party with you. However... I... I want the two of us to... to know more about one another... before I agree completely," she said, stumbling over her words. Severus chuckled softly, his dark eyes glinting with mirth and his lips dancing faintly in amusement.

"Well then, I guess you'll just have to talk to me, now won't you?" he said. Petunia fought down her blush, a part of her wondering when the lanky, greasy kid had gained that kind of power over her, then nodded. He smirked, then went back in his room, but didn't close the door. Curious, Petunia entered behind him. "You know, my father was a non-magical," Severus said, stirring a simmering potion. Petunia didn't know what to say, didn't know where he was going, and so stayed quiet. "He almost made me hate the non-magical world." Petunia felt her throat tighten against her will at the admission. "But then I remembered Lily and her parents, and I knew that there were good people even in the non-magical world. Then I started to get to know you, and I'm conflicted. You used to love Lily, then you grew to resent her, now... I don't know what you feel. Do you resent your sister? Do you hate magic? Do you hate... me?"

"No," Petunia answered, knowing it was for all the questions Severus had asked, and that he would know it as well. He sighed, though Petunia could tell if it were in relief or... something else. Emotions were complicated.

"Well then, perhaps there is a chance for peace, if a pair like us can forgive others for having what we cannot," Severus finally said. Petunia took that as her cue to leave, but before she could, Severus spoke again. "If you'd like, you can stay and watch. Who knows, maybe you could learn to brew." She smiled and settled down to watch him work. It wouldn't hurt to see if she could learn to mix potions, and Severus wasn't really one to prattle or make lewd jokes like some of the men she'd met.

/*/

When the Marauders and their friends gathered on the Hogwarts Express to begin their sixth year, Severus had a gleam in his eye that Sirius had only ever seen in James' and Remus' and even then it was only at certain times. When they thought about the woman they loved. "Okay Bartok*, spill it. Who's the lucky girl?" Sirius said, using the lanky youth's S.A. name. Severus smirked.

"Evans." Remus thought James might burst a blood vessel, before Lily snorted and hit Severus on the back of the head.

"Stop teasing them and tell them!" she said. James looked on curiously.

"Petunia," Severus said, if only to spare himself the pain and terror of a curious/jealous Potter, two devious Blacks, and an all too cheerful Lupin along with the wrath of Lily Evans. Remus gave him a wolfish grin. Sirius, after watching how Remus had dealt with the wolf the first time and how painful that had been for the man, had suggested that Remus accept the wolf, but give it reasons not to take over. Since then, Remus had been much more wolfish, but also, strangely, happier.

"Oh ho? So, the dark Master of the Dungeons finally found a pretty little flower did he?" the werewolf asked, smirking. Severus blushed, but didn't deny it. Sirius had a knowing smile on his face, James had a dangerous gleam in his eye, and Peter had a terrifying grin on his face.

"Please, do not start planning a wedding. I don't think either of us could handle a Marauder style wedding," Severus said, giving them an apprehensive look. James and Peter chuckled and Severus felt a shiver of fear go through him. Lily put a hand on his shoulder and shot a scathing look at the boys, though Sirius still had that knowing, smug look on his face.

"Boys, behave. Severus is like a brother to me, and if he does marry Petunia he _will_ be my brother," she said. James sighed, but nodded, showing that he wouldn't bully Severus. Not that he was about to give up completely of course.

"Lily, you do know it's in my nature to tease, right?" he said, slightly worried. Lily sighed.

"Well... as long as it isn't constant _and_ it's done with a smile, or however it is that people know it's meant fondly rather than nastily," she said. James grinned at her and she felt her pulse speed up a bit. Sirius' knowing look grew even more pleased. Peter rolled his eyes and tossed a water balloon in his face. The shock value alone was enough to get the others to laugh, but when Sirius used Regulus' adaptation of the Color Changer in retaliation was when they howled.

"That should show you to throw water balloons in people's faces!" he snarled, though they all knew him well enough to catch the humor under the generally angry sound. Peter grinned at him in a vaguely cocky fashion.

"Ah, but don't you know? I've found I rather enjoy this look. Add in the new clothes mother _dearest_ 'got' for me... the girls might just be flocking to me instead of you or James, don't you think?" the sandy haired youth asked, slouching easily against the wall of their compartment. Sirius couldn't help but gape at his friend. In his original memories, Peter had been a dumpy, lazy, puppy dog follower type who could only watch in awe as others joked the way this new Peter just had. He slowly came out of his shell-shocked state as James began to laugh and Peter's smirk grew. After a moment or two Sirius mock-scowled and removed the charm, allowing Peter's naturally pale hair to fall back into the smooth, almost bowl cut, style he had before. Seeing his hair fall flat, Peter frowned slightly, then nodded and, with a flick of his wand and a muttered spell, his hair was short and spiky again, though retained it's natural color. He smirked and returned to the position he had used when teasing Sirius, then nodded in satisfaction. "Completely unrecognizable from last year, don't you think?" he asked with a surprisingly dashing smile. The couldn't couldn't help but agree. Peter Pettigrew was, for lack of a better term, transformed. Dinner at the Hufflepuff table that night was an awkward affair as everyone was staring at the 'new' sixth year. He laughed and joked as though he knew them well, but no-one could say they'd ever seen him before. There was a spark of mischief in his dancing blue eyes. His Muggle T-Shirt fit his muscular shoulders well and his short, spiky hair just added to the rougeish look his smirk lent to his square face. Finally, one of the girls couldn't stand it anymore and asked his name. He grinned, the puckish gleam in his eyes making a few of the girls nearly swoon, and said, "Peter Henry Pettigrew, at your service." Flashes went off at the other three tables as nearly the whole Hufflepuff table gaped and/or fainted. Peter laughed uproariously at the over the top reaction and gave his friends a thumps up. "Great reaction! I'm so glad we got pictures!" he said, grinning all the while Sirius shook his head, but couldn't really fault the young man for his joke. It was harmless and people needed a good shock to keep them on their toes, especially in dangerous times such as theirs.

/*/

Adrian Black wasn't a traditional Black. Mostly because his name was Adrian and not some star or constellation, but he was also a very open person. Oh yeah, he'd also been a Hufflepuff at Hogwarts. Most of the family didn't even know he belonged to the House of Black, they just thought he was a Muggleborn with the name Black. And if they knew, they weren't quite sure _how_ he was related to them. He snickered to himself whenever he thought about that. He may be open, but he saw no harm in allowing preconceptions to stand and eventually harm the foolish. He would go up to a confirmed Dark Lord supporter and say something about Muggle tainted witches and wizards not being allowed in The Whiskey Badger and they'd ask where it was. He'd say, "I'll do you one better. Come with me and your first drink's on the house." It was so easy! They'd take him up on his offer with a grin, clearly thinking 'sucker!' He'd give them his strongest drink and they'd tell him he had some good stock. He;d smile and ask if they'd like another round. After that, all he had to do was make commiserating noises or ask a question here or there and they spilled their guts. Foolish, foolish Death Eaters. Always be on your guard when someone offers to buy you a drink, you never know what might be in it. Adrian chuckled as he wiped his glass. Stupid stupid Dark Wizards, they were making his job easy. They told the others to visit his bar without him having to play the Muggle hating Dark wizard card! He picked up the parchment he had sitting on his side of the counter, hidden from the patrons, which he always set a dicta-quill to when a Dark supporter or Death Eater walked up to his bar and walked up to his room above his bar. He crossed to his desk to edit and encode his day's findings. He grinned as fire devoured the dicta-quill parchment and his encoded letter was on wing to Lord Black. And they all thought it was disgraceful that he became a bartender. Well, who's a disgrace now, hum? He chuckled as he rolled his shoulders and checked his bubbling caldrons where he was brewing veritserum, which he would quietly slip into Death Eater drinks so he knew the information he gathered was true, or at least to the Death Eater. He knew Sirius would still take it all with a grain of salt, but none could deny the barkeep was a very reliable source of Death Eater information. Taking the caldrons off the fires, Adrian covered them and went to his bed, pleased with himself for gathering so much information in one night and looking forward to getting more in the morning.

/?\\\

A/N: Okay, so not that dark, but it does show a bit more about what Sirius is doing, how he's gearing up for the war. And, show of hands, who likes Adrian and thinks he should have a bigger part in the story? Personally, I just like the idea of the barkeep that passes on information. Its really a great way to do it right? I don't really drink, like, at all, but for these guys? Yeah.

'*'Bartok is referring to Severus' bat form. I got the name from 'Anastasia.' 'Bagheera' comes from 'The Jungle Book.' I think. Eh, they fit and they're in there and that's what those two are going to be called. So there.

Micah 7:5-6 (ESV)

"Put no trust in a neighbor; have no confidence in a friend; guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms; for the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house."


End file.
